New evacuation orders were issued Thursday afternoon as the Schneider Springs Fire northwest of Naches continued to grow.
Level 3 "go now" evacuation orders were expanded to all residents along State Route 410 from the intersection of Highway 12 to Little Naches and Bumping Lake Road, according to the fire incident team.
Level 2 "be ready" evacuation notices have been issued for all residents along Highway 12 from the intersection of State Route 410 to the top end of Tieton Reservoir Road.
The fire was at 56,000 acres Thursday morning. The growth in acreage amounted to roughly 24,000 acres since Wednesday, with large growth to the southeast.
"Fire activity the last few days has been continuous and aggressive," the report said. "Northwest winds fueled fire through drainages, making it difficult to hold the fire perimeter."
The fire pushed down toward the Nile community and crews initiated defensive operations between Clover Springs and Bethel Ridge Road during which power was temporarily disconnected to the area. In the south along Rattlesnake and Lost Creek drainages, large growth pushed the fire beyond Forest Road 1500.
Mary Wood, a spokesperson for the firefighting team, said the growth was caused by winds overnight and into this morning pushing southeast. The winds have since shifted back east, which she said was good news for the 410 corridor. But crews expected another shift later on.
"When the wind shifts back to the west into the fire corridor, that's good ... because it pushes itself back into itself," she said. "But we're still having a hard time with the southern perimeter of the fire."
Wood said the southern edge of the fire was in steep, largely inaccessible terrain, portions of which had become too dangerous for crews to access.
Crews planned to create a strong contingency line, connecting ground charred by the fire to "fill in those gaps so it doesn't grow," she said. "We're trying to do black-meets-black."
Meanwhile, containment measures near Bumping Lake had proven successful, she said.
Power cuts
At the request of the incident management team, Pacific Power temporarily shut off power to all lines from Woodshed to Little Naches along the 410, Yakima Valley Emergency Management said in a Facebook post.
Public safety power shutoffs for wildfires are a preventative approach power companies have begun using in recent years in areas at high risk of wildfires. While they are commonplace in California, they're rarely used in Washington. Pacific Power first designated the area around Nile as a spot that could experience power shutoffs in 2019, but it has never previously been implemented there.
Wood said the power cut "was because fire activity and electricity systems don't mix well, and it would have become such an unsafe situation for our crew on the ground and in the air" as well as for the local community. Power has since been restored everywhere except along Nile Road, she said.
The fire was continuing to push toward Nile Road in the area, and crews are working to save compromised structures. None had been lost as of mid-day Wednesday, she said.
The fire was also moving northeast towards the Cliffdell area, she said, and crews were on the ground with hoses and sprinklers scouting for structures to protect.
Evacuation orders, plans
Level 3 "go now" evacuation orders were expanded to all residents along State Route 410 from the intersection of Highway 12 to Little Naches and Bumping Lake Road. Level 2 "be ready" evacuation notices have been issued for all residents along Highway 12 from the intersection of SR410 to the top end of Tieton Reservoir Road.
A Red Cross shelter has been established at Summit View Church of Christ, 100 N. 72nd Ave., in Yakima. Those needing shelter may call 509-929-4230.
A virtual community meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. through Facebook on the Schneider Springs Fire page.
There are 500 firefighters working the fire. They planned to continue defending structures in the Bumping Lake, Goose Prairie and 410 corridors, as well as complete fireline preparation on the north and east flanks of the fire. North and northwest winds were expected to continue growing the fire on all perimeter areas.
Four tankers and three helicopters assisted from the air on Wednesday. Wood said there was also a drone helping with perimeter scouting so that crews could plan best approaches.
The fire was started by a lightning strike Aug. 3 and was first spotted Aug. 4. The fire remains uncontained.
