Ford Corkscrew Fire

Containment Increases; Transfer of Command At 6pm Today

Ford Corkscrew Fire Daily Update August 29, 2021

Acres:  15,772 acres

Personnel: 296

Cause: Under investigation

Containment: 92%

Start Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021

Location: Ford, WA

Fuels:  Timber (grass and understory); brush (2 feet)

Announcement:  Command of the Ford Corkscrew Fire will transfer to a Type 4 Organization with Incident Commander, Charles Davis, at 6pm today. The phonelines listed above will be taken off-line at that time. Please use (509) 685-6900 for all future inquires. The Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5 wants to extend our sincere appreciation to local agencies, cooperators, and the community for your support throughout the incident. Until there is a season-ending event such as wetting rain or snow, warm, sunny days will cause unburned islands of fuel to flame up and smoke may be visible. Please do not report these smoke plumes unless they are close to the fire line.

Overview: The Ford Corkscrew Fire showed moderate fire behavior yesterday, primarily through interior unburned islands on the east side of the fire. Observations of torching and spotting occurred in short duration and smoke was present. Similar conditions are anticipated for today.

Fire Update: Today will be the hottest and driest day of the short-term drying trend the region is currently experiencing. Moderate fire behavior is expected for the Ford Corkscrew Fire as interior islands of fuel continue to burn. Resources in all divisions will mop up and patrol the fire area to adequately secure control lines and protect interior values.

Evacuations are still in place for the Ford Corkscrew Fire. Please refer to the map on Inciweb at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7803/ or Stevens County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. Please note, the reduction in acres is due to better data on containment line locations. As containment line and fire edge confirmations are received from field personnel, further adjustments in acreage are expected.

Weather: Today will be warm and dry with highs near 80 degrees and humidity dropping back into the 20 percent range. Winds will be mostly light and favor southwesterly. Monday, the next low pressure system approaches from the west, adding some cloud cover breezy southwest winds. Increased winds, along with slightly lower relative humidity, will slightly elevate fire weather concerns. A cold front will push in late in the day to trim Monday's high temperatures a few degrees, with cooler conditions Tuesday behind the front.

Closures/Restrictions: Some roads within the and near the fire perimeter remain closed and a temporary flight restriction (TFR) remains in effect around the fire area. Residents and visitors are also encouraged to maintain a safe distance from working aircraft conducting water filling operations on local water ways and lakes, including Loon and Long lakes.

More Information:

Ford Corkscrew Fire Daily Updates on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7803

Northwest Washington Fire Information Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newfireinfo

Stevens County Emergency Management Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevenscountyem

Evacuation Notices and Updates via Hyper-Reach: https://secure.hyper-reach.com/comsignupw.jsp?id=41001

Structure Information via Stevens County Emergency Management: 509-684-7563