Single Publication

Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Boulder Mountain Fire Information 509-508-3389 (8am-8pm) | 2022.bouldermountain@firenet.gov 

Quick Facts

Fire Location

9 miles NW of Cusick, WA in Tacoma Creek and Boulder Mtn.

Size

1,289 acres

Containment

0%

Start Date

8/31/22

Cause

Under Investigation

Incident Commander

Mike Johnston, Great Basin Type 2 Incident Management Team #7

Personnel

319

Online Links

InciWeb:

 inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8382/ 

Facebook:

@NeWFireInfo 

Washington State Department of Natural Resources:

www.dnr.wa.gov/wildfires 

Colville National Forest

www.fs.usda.gov/colville

Summary: The Boulder Mountain Fire was detected on Wednesday August 31st, 2022, at approximately 8:30 pm. The fire is located in the Tacoma Creek and Boulder Mountain area, 9 miles Northwest of Cusick, Washington. A mix of State, Federal and Private land is impacted. The terrain is difficult, and the fire is burning in heavy timber, slash, and beetle infested trees. Cause of the fire remains under investigation.  

Weather|Anticipated Fire Behavior: A Red Flag warning is in effect today. A red flag warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now…or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity, and warm temperatures can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Winds over the next few days will likely shift frequently, varying direction, and speed. They are expected to be steady 15-20mph with gusts between 30-35mph. If winds align with the terrain and unburned pockets of timber, there is a strong possibility of very active fire behavior. 

Actions: Yesterday’s primary efforts were directed toward improving and establishing containment lines, especially on the southern perimeter of the fire. With the anticipated Red Flag conditions and directional wind changes the crews concentrated on securing areas with the goal of minimizing any growth to the fire. On the ground, numerous pieces of large equipment, including dozers, masticators, and chippers are teaming with hand crews and aided by water drops to slow the fire’s spread. 

Today all eyes will be on the wind and safety of our responders. Large sections of hose lines will be laid with the intent of targeting the edge of direct hand and dozer line. 

 Important Information: Red Flag warnings should not be taken lightly. Please be cautious in using fuel, securing loads and towing, and not parking hot vehicles on grass.  Please think twice before using equipment that could potentially spark a wildfire. 

Additionally, as resources have been available to fly over the fire area with IR (infrared imagery) the perimeter of the fire has been more accurately mapped allowing the incident management team to identify a more precise acreage.