Single Publication

 #VantageHighwayFire Update:
Email: publicfireinformation@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/sewaimt
 Phone number: ‪(509) 557-0063
‬Incident website: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8303/
Incident Commander: Leonard Johnson
Public Information: Grace DeBusschere
9:00 a.m., August 4, 2022
Estimated size: 17,000 acres
Containment: 25%
Start Date/Time: August 1, 12:05 p.m.
Area of Origin: Vantage Highway
Cause: Under investigation
Structures Lost: 1 Cabin, 3 outbuildings
Resources: 6 Hand crews, 31 Engines, 3 Dozers, 6 Water Tenders, Air Resources

Yesterday: Fireline resources established anchor points that allow firefighters to start working through several drainages. Aircraft and ground resources worked hard throughout the day to establish a north border on the fire near Box Canyon. Several aircraft from the Vantage Highway fire were redirected to nearby new fire starts in critical need of aerial resources. Today: Firefighters continue to improve and install control lines along the west perimeter of the fire. Now the most active flank of the fire, the west flank is backing upslope while winds coming from the west push downslope. Crews will be attacking the fire directly to take advantage of today’s cooler and more humid weather conditions. Command for the Vantage Highway fire will be transitioning from Southeast WA Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team to a Type 2 Incident Management Team in the coming days. Type 2 incident personnel will begin arriving at the Incident Command Post and preparing to assume the duties of the current team.

This morning, the Northwest Coordinating Center, the hub for coordinating fire resources across the region, has announced a Preparedness Level 3 for the area, indicating an increased demand for wildfire preparedness and resources.

Evacuations and Road Closures: Vantage Highway will remain closed until at least 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, at which point the Southeast WA Type 3 Incident Management Team, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, and Kittitas County PUD will assess if it is ready to open. Vantage Highway is closed from Parke Creek Road through Recreation Drive except for local traffic. There are no evacuation notices for the Vantage Highway Fire.

The Kittitas Secondary School is the Incident Command Post for Southeast WA Type 3 Interagency Incident Management Team, which is collaborating with Washington DNR, the BLM, and the Washington State Patrol-Fire Marshal’s office for this state mobilization response.

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