WEATHER HELPS FIREFIGHTERS
Rains, Lower Temperatures, Lighter Winds Headed For Pacific Northwest

August 21, 2001 — The forecast from NOAA's National Weather Service will help firefighters plan strategies as they continue to battle blazes in ten states from Washington to Wyoming to Texas. The weather may continue to give firefighting efforts an edge as the wet weather moves in the states of Oregon and Washington. Cool, wet conditions will start setting up later Tuesday and into the evening hours. (Click NOAA image for larger view. Caption: Jim Prange, National Weather Service Incident Meteorologist, checks winds and humidity on the road as the hotshot crew begins firing operations at the Icicle Fire complex near Leavenworth, Washington. Prange arrived at the Icicle Fire complex on Aug. 15 and is shown here Sunday afternoon at the 8-Mile Creek fire burnout at the fire complex. Burnouts help firefighters suppress wildfires by eliminating vegetation.)

"We're looking at some rains coming to the eastern slopes of the Cascades and the Okanagan Highlands later today and into tonight," said Gary Bennett, National Weather Service Incident Meteorologist (IMET). Bennett is at the Wenatchee, Wash., Area Command Center where 40 to 50 people work side-by-side at this interagency logistics and management center. Bennett says they're supporting firefighting efforts going on at more than 30 fires in the state of Washington.

"The rain will be the best thing that can happen for that area, but we're also worried about the front coming in ahead of the system," said Bennett. "We're briefing that the storm should start late Tuesday afternoon and progress across to Eastern Washington by tonight. However, some areas in the southern Cascades, near Yakima, will only get a little precipitation from this storm but every little bit helps."

Bennett warned the winds will increase in advance of the cold front as it approached the fire-laden area.

"We're looking at 10- to 25-mile per hour winds which could cause additional fire spread before the moisture gets to the fires. That's the situation we will be watching very closely throughout today and tonight."

He added, "In the heavy timber fires the rains will not put the fires out. But, the moisture should help to dampen them. The fuels are so dry these fires will be with us awhile."

At the command center, Bennett briefs incident commanders at the fires twice daily via a conference call. He also provides on-going updates to those on the Area Command Team stationed in Wenatchee. Each afternoon, he heads downtown to a local hotel where many people assemble for the day's formal briefing. At any time, Bennett says the audience consists of city, county and state officials, elected representatives, media and those involved in supporting the firefighting efforts.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Seattle is predicting a fall-like weather system west of the Cascades that will bring moderate to locally heavy rainfall to most areas of Western Washington.

John Werth, fire weather meteorologists and an IMET at Seattle said, "This system will significantly reduce the fire danger in the western part of the state. This should help us until we get our typical late summer to early fall east winds which will dry us out again.

The National Weather Service has 18 IMETs deployed to fires. Additionally, staff at forecast offices across the nation are providing support to land management agencies through spot weather forecasts for prescribed fires or for smaller fires.

Current National Statistics
The National Interagency Fire Center said eight new fires were started Monday bringing the total to 42 large fires and more than 356,000 acres ablaze in ten states. NIFC reports fire activity increased in California. There are nine large fires in the state including the Hoover fire near Yosemite National Park. Lightning caused the fire about 10 miles southeast of Yosemite Village and has consumed 1,920 acres. Currently, nearly 28,900 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to wildland fires.

Fires also are burning in Wyoming where the Palisades Reservoir fire has consumed 2,000 acres in an area 15 miles south of Meeteetse. The fire has caused evacuations, threatened ranches and an oil field.

The fire season to date has consumed more than 2.8 million acres. That is still fewer acres than last year at this time which was the worst season in the past fifty years, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.

Relevant Web Sites
Updated forecast information is available on the home pages of local National Weather Service offices. These pages are organized by geographic regions of the country.

NOAA's Fire Weather Information Center

For additional information on the NOAA's Fire Weather Program, please visit NOAA's National Fire Forecasts, Offices and Outlooks, Boise, Idaho.

NOAA's Western U.S. Wildfires Summary — Includes maps

Latest NOAA Satellite Images of Fires

NOAA's NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECASTERS PROVIDE CRITICAL SUPPORT TO WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT

All About Wild Fires

NOAA's Fire Weather Program (Describes wild fire weather terms)

Fire Weather Forecasts from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma

National Interagency Fire Center — Includes latest news and glossary of wildfire terms

Media Contact:
Marilu Trainor, NOAA's National Weather Service Western Region, (801) 524-5692 ext. 226

 

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