A new team on Monday took over the Cowlitz Complex Fire in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which has just three active fires remaining after an Aug. 25 lightning storm ignited an estimated 43.
The Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Kent Stanford, has a total of 247 personnel assigned to 731 acres of fires that are 39% contained. On-the-ground patrolling and suppression are continuing, and an estimated half-inch of rain over the weekend is aiding in firefighting efforts.
No smoke or active fire movement were reported on Sunday. No injuries have been reported due to the fires, beyond a bug bite from the previous incident management team.
Out of the initial 43 blazes, 28 are “out.” For firefighters to declare a forest fire “out,” everything in the vicinity, including the dirt and underground layers of leaves and organic material, must be cool to the touch.
Of the remaining blazes, 11 are “controlled,” meaning they are mostly or completely extinguished. One, the Mission Fire southeast of Packwood, is “contained,” which means the fire is unlikely to leave natural or firefighter-established boundaries.
Remaining “active” fires include the 44.79-acre Grassy Mountain Fire, that, as crow flies, is less than 3 miles north of Randle in extremely hard-to-reach terrain.
Its proximity to the community makes the fire a priority, so containment boundaries have been established on the southern, northern and eastern sides of the fire. The perimeter would allow for growth until a season-ending weather event fully extinguishes the fire, but would make containment easier if it expands.
On the southern half of the Cowlitz Complex, the Snagtooth and Spencer Quartz fires had grown to 320.85 and 209.94 acres, respectively, by Monday. Though, neither are likely to threaten significantly valuable resources (human or natural), before a season-ending weather event.
For more information
Cowlitz Complex Fires information phone line: 360-208-8075 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Email: 2023.cowlitzcomplex@firenet.gov
Online: Cowlitz Complex Information on InciWeb, https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cowlitzcomplex/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GPNF
Glossary
Incident Management Team: For large wildfires, responders include teams with varying complexity levels. Type 1 teams manage the largest, most difficult fires. On Monday, the Cowlitz Complex shifted down to a Type 3 incident management team, which has a smaller, more appropriately sized team as the fires start to reach containment.
Cowlitz Complex Fire: A joint name for several dozen fires across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest that began after an Aug. 25 lightning storm.
Duff: Layers of forest floor made of unburned, decomposing leaves, needles, cones, branches, etc., that fuel fires and can cause underground burning.
Contained: When a fire has been restricted to a boundary, whether natural or one that was created by firefighters digging around the fire’s perimeter.
Out: When there is absolutely no danger of a fire’s reignition. Firefighters test this by sticking their fingers in the dirt to ensure it is cool to the touch.
