Swakane Wildfire 65% Contained, Type III Incident Management Team to Continue Firefighting Efforts

ENTIAT – The Swakane Wildfire is 65% contained. It has a fire line all around it, but at this point, especially due to the close proximity of unburned fuel with interior hotspots, that line is not sufficient to prevent the fire from increasing in size. Today crews continue to work to hold the current fire footprint, prepare some containment lines for future burnout, and mop up and patrol other parts of the perimeter.

The weather should be relatively mild with winds 5-10 miles per hour in an upslope pattern as the area heats up during the day. Temperatures should be 80-85 in the lower valleys and 69-74 on the midslopes and ridges.

Today the incident is transitioning to a smaller Type III management organization, with will take command of the fire at 0600 on Sunday July 18. Michelle Ellis is the Incident Commander.

In the next few weeks, firefighters will continue to improve the containment fireline and may conduct a larger burn-out operations as weather and fuel conditions permit.

There is a Public Meeting on Saturday July 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Entiat Grange Hall (14108 Kinzel, Entiat, Washington) in order to describe the current situation, future plans and reasonable expectations for the Swakane Wildfire.

WIIMT4 appreciates the high level of skill and cooperation that’s been provided by local agencies, organizations and the community. The firefighting crews and equipment operators have displayed excellent skill and there have been no major injuries on this incident.

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The above is a press release from the Washington Interagency Incident Management Team #4 which as of Saturday Morning is the Incident Command for the Swakane Wildfire. It is published as is as a courtesy to our residents.