Single Publication

Currently the Siouxon Fire is 437 acres and is burning on steep, remote terrain within an unburned island within the Big Hollow Fire scar on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Siouxon Fire is surrounded to the west, north and east by burn scars from the Big Hollow Fire and poses little threat to escaping the fire area this late in the season. Leadership has decided that due to the time of year, location of the fire, topographic challenges, and lack of safety mitigations available, the Fire team will not be staffing the fire on the ground at this time. Fire staff are monitoring the fire daily and posting road guards and signs to keep the public safe.

Fire behavior: Continued unseasonably warm and dry conditions are giving the Siouxon Fire the ability for some growth and moderate fire activity. An aircraft flew over the fire on Sunday October 9th and confirmed that, though there is fire growth, it remains to be a creeping and smoldering ground-fire that appears to be doing some good for the forest by burning in heavy dead and down fuels within the Big Hollow footprint. Overall, the fire continues to creep and smolder, and fire activity is minimal. Low intensity fires, like the Siouxon Fire is currently, can help to reduce dead fuel accumulation and ladder fuels, accelerate the return of nutrients to the soil, and rejuvenate grasses and forbs.

Weather: Higher than normal temperatures, and low relative humidity values throughout both day and night resulted in recent fire growth, this weather pattern is expected to continue and will cause the fire to be more active this week into the weekend. Winds are expected to be out of the east during this persistent high-pressure system; however, surface level winds in the Siouxon drainage are expected to be light for the days to come.

Forest Closures: To help protect the public an area closure had been put in place. Key closures include Forest Roads 57 and 58, upper 64, Trail #130 (Siouxon Trail), and Trail #129 (Huffman Peak Trail).  View Siouxon Fire Closure Order. View a Closure Map 

Closure description: Beginning at the Forest Boundary and the north edge of National Forest System (NFS) Road 54 east along north edge of NFS Road 54 to the intersection of NFS Road 5704; east along NFS Road 5704 as it changes to NFS Road 58; east along NFS Road 58 to the intersection with NFS 64, then west along NFS Road 64 to the intersection of NFS Road 6403 then west along NFS Road 6403-216 to Siouxon Peak and east along the Siouxon Peak Trail #129B and then Huffman Peak Trail #129 north to the Forest Boundary then following the contiguous forest boundary to east and south to the north edge of NFS Road 54 and the point of origin.                    

Cause: Abandoned campfire

Acres: 437 (Infrared flight October 10 at 1130)

For more information contact the Mount Adams Ranger District Mon-Fri.:  (509) 395-2501

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8436

Gifford Pinchot Forest Website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gp/fire