Okanogan Complex Fire

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Okanogan Complex Fire
Okanogan Complex Fire - USFS.jpg
Smoke from the fire on August 25
Location Okanogan County, Washington
Coordinates 48°31′08″N119°39′43″W / 48.519°N 119.662°W / 48.519; -119.662
Statistics
Cost$44.5 million
Date(s)August 15, 2015 (2015-08-15) – September 19, 2015 (2015-09-19)
Burned area304,782 acres (123,341 ha) as of August 30 [1]
Cause Lightning
Buildings destroyed120 destroyed homes
Deaths3
Non-fatal injuries7
Map
USA Washington location map.svg
FireIcon.svg

The Okanogan Complex Fire was a wildfire affecting Okanogan County in north-central Washington state. It was composed of five fires that were caused by lightning strikes on August 15, 2015, with two of the fires near Conconully merging days later on August 19. [2] At its peak, it burned over 304,782 acres (123,341 ha) [1] of land and forced the evacuations of numerous towns, including Conconully, Twisp and Winthrop. Over 1,250 firefighters were deployed to the Okanogan Complex. [3] Three United States Forest Service firefighters were killed in an accident near Twisp on August 19. [4] Traditional methods of containing such wildfires, such as creating bulldozer lines, were not readily available due to the irregular terrain and because an inversion layer trapped smoke in the valley, making it difficult to fly in water by helicopter. [5]

Contents

On August 24, some media outlets reported that it had become the largest wildfire in Washington state history, surpassing the Carlton Complex fire of 2014. [6] The Okanogan Complex fire did not merge into a single fire, and so the Carlton Complex remains the state's largest single fire. [7]

By August 25 more help was arriving and no more structures had burned. However, nearly all the fires had continued "to grow with little containment gained" and higher winds were predicted by the end of the week that would feed the flames. [8] On August 25, 2015, there were 1,345 firefighters and 15 percent of the fire had been contained. [9]

By September 19, the fire was 95% contained and management was turned over to local firefighters. [10]

Twisp River fire

The Twisp River Fire was one of the five fires that comprised the Okanogan Complex Fire. [11] It was reported on August 19 at 12:23 Pacific Daylight Time. The fire started when tree branches struck a nearby powerline. By 06:00 hours on August 20, it was reported to be 7,231 acres and had reached the outskirts of Twisp, Washington. The fire's final reported acreage on August 26 was 11,922 acres. [12] [13]

Fatalities and entrapment

After units responded to the fire, winds suddenly changed and the fire more than doubled in size in approximately 15 minutes. Three Forest Service (FS) fatalities and one critical injury occurred on Engine 642. Two Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) employees and a contract dozer operator were also entrapped in the fire but survived with minor injuries; all three sought refuge in a garage and then later deployed their fire shelters. Several other engines encountered severe fire conditions. [13]

On May 30, 2018, a lawsuit was filed against Okanogan County Electric Cooperative by Daniel Lyon, the lone survivor of Engine 642, who was severely burned in the fire. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okanogan County, Washington</span> County in Washington, United States

Okanogan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,104. The county seat is Okanogan, while the largest city is Omak. Its area is the largest in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omak, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Omak is a city located in the foothills of the Okanogan Highlands in north-central Washington, United States. With an estimated 4,845 residents as of 2010, distributed over a land area of 3.43 square miles (8.9 km2), Omak is the largest municipality of Okanogan County and the largest municipality in Central Washington north of Wenatchee. The Greater Omak Area of around 8,229 inhabitants as of the 2010 census is the largest urban cluster in the Okanogan Country region, encompassing most of its twin city of Okanogan. The population has increased significantly since the 1910 census, reporting 520 residents just prior to incorporation in 1911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisp, Washington</span> Town in Washington, United States

Twisp is a town in Okanogan County in north central Washington, which sits at the confluence of the Twisp and Methow rivers. The population was 938 at the time of the 2000 census and decreased to 919 at the time of the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest</span> Protected area in the U.S. state of Washington

The Okanogan National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Okanogan County in north-central Washington, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wenatchee National Forest</span> Protected area in the United States

Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres, it extends about 137 miles along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from Okanogan National Forest to Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The forest is located in Chelan, Kittitas and Yakima counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Washington wildfires</span>

The 2012 Washington wildfires were a series of 1,342 wildfires that burned 259,526 acres (1,050 km2) over the course of 2012. The fires primarily occurred in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests during September and October 2012. A severe lightning storm on September 8 caused hundreds of fires across the east side of Cascade Range. Smoke caused hazardous air quality conditions in the cities of Ellensburg and Wenatchee, and was noticeable in Seattle. The cost of fighting the largest four fires was estimated to be $67.5 million.

Omak School District, officially known as Omak School District 19, is a school district that serves Omak, Washington, a city in the Okanogan region of United States. It consists of three elementary schools, two middle schools and three high schools. The district was established in 1912. Its first high school, Omak High School, was built in 1919. More schools were constructed in September 1954, when land was leased in North Omak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omak Rock</span> Boulder in the US state of Washington

Omak Rock, also known as Balance Rock, is a balancing rock in the Colville Indian Reservation, in the U.S. state of Washington. Located within the Greater Omak Area of the Okanogan Country, the glacial erratic is about 1,340 feet (410 m) from Omak Lake. It is positioned within the vicinity of the 1872 North Cascades earthquake, which it survived. The fact of its survival has been the basis of studies to help determine the acceleration and intensity of the quake. Some believe that the epicenter of the earthquake may have been very close to Omak Rock. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation believe that the rock represents a symbol of nature's perfection in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Washington wildfires</span>

The 2014 Washington wildfires were a series of 1,480 wildfires that burned 386,972 acres (1,566 km2) over the course of 2014. The first occurred primarily on the east side of the Cascade Range in Chelan and Okanogan counties. The fires burned private land, state land, and within the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, ultimately covering over 350,000 acres. The first fire began on July 8 near the Entiat River. On July 14 a lightning storm started dozens more fires across the eastern Cascade Range. Governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency, activating the Washington National Guard. More lightning strikes later in the summer started additional fires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Washington wildfires</span>

The 2015 wildfire season was the largest in Washington state history, with more than one million acres burning across the state from June to September. As many as 3,000 firefighters including 800 Washington National Guard members were deployed to fight the fires. The 17th Field Artillery Brigade of the United States Army also deployed 200 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis–McChord to help fight the fires.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carlton Complex Fire</span> 2014 wildfire in Washington state, USA

The Carlton Complex Fire was a massive wildfire in north central Washington which burned 256,108 acres (1,036.4 km2) during the 2014 Washington wildfire season. It began on July 14, 2014 as four separate lightning-caused fires in the Methow Valley which merged into one by July 18. The complex destroyed 353 homes in and around the towns of Pateros and Brewster, as well as rural Okanogan County. The fire caused an estimated $98 million in damages. The Carlton Complex remains the largest single wildfire in Washington state history, surpassing the 1902 Yacolt Burn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 California wildfires</span>

The 2015 California wildfire season was a series of wildfires that burned across the state of California. By the end of 2015 a total of 8,745 fires were recorded, burning 893,362 acres (3,615 km2) across the state. Approximately 3,159 structures were damaged or destroyed by wildfires, and at least 7 fatalities were recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Creek Fire</span> 2017 wildfire in Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington, US

The Jack Creek Fire was a wildfire in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in Washington, approximately 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth, Washington in the United States. It was started by a lightning strike on August 11, 2017. The fire burned a total of 4,606 acres (19 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Washington wildfires</span>

The 2018 Washington wildfire season officially began June 1, 2018. A statewide state of emergency was declared by Governor Jay Inslee on July 31.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Left Hand Fire</span>

The Left Hand Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forest, 17 miles northwest of Naches, in the state of Washington in the United States. The fire, which started July 23, 2019, was caused by a lightning strike. As of September 3, the fire had burned 3,406 acres (1,378 ha) and was 92 percent contained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Washington Labor Day fires</span>

The 2020 Washington Labor Day fires were part of the 2020 wildfires in the U.S. state of Washington. The Labor Day fires began on September 7, 2020, driven by high winds and some of which were sparked by downed power lines. More than 330,000 acres (130,000 ha) burned across the state of Washington, a one-day total greater than any of the last 12 entire fire seasons, according to the governor's office, and larger than the state's largest single fire, the Carlton Complex Fire of 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Complex Fire</span> A large complex wildfire in Northern California in 2020

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The 2021 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2021. By late April, all of Eastern Washington had been classified by the United States Drought Monitor as "abnormally dry" with moderate to severe drought conditions. The state had more than 630 wildfires by the first week of July, on par with the state's record 2015 wildfire season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Washington wildfires</span> Wildfire season

The 2023 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2023 in the US state of Washington.

References

  1. 1 2 "Okanogan Complex Update - August 30". InciWeb (Press release). National Wildfire Coordinating Group. August 30, 2015. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Camp, Dee (August 18, 2015). "Conconully ordered to evacuate". The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle . Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ Geranios, Nicholas K.; Skoloff, Brian (August 24, 2015). "Okanogan wildfire is now largest in state history". KOMO-TV. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ Camp, Dee (August 19, 2015). "Three firefighters killed in Twisp blaze". The Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle . Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bush, Evan (August 24, 2015). "Okanogan Complex wildfire now biggest in state history". The Seattle Times . Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ Fieldstadt, Elisha (August 24, 2015). "Okanogan Complex: Washington Wildfire Is Now Largest in State History". NBC News. Associated Press. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  7. ↑ Riggs, Dee (August 26, 2015). "Carlton Complex is still the largest, single fire in state history". The Wenatchee World . Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ Michelle McNiel (August 25, 2015). "Fires continue to grow, but not as fast". Wenatchee, Washington: The Wenatchee World. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  9. ↑ Natalie Swaby (August 25, 2015). "Heat, winds a concern as firefight continues". KING 5 News and Associated Press. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Corrected Okanogan Complex Update 9-19-2015". InciWeb. National Wildfire Coordinating Group. September 19, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Okanogan complex largest fire in Washington history". Wildfire Today. August 25, 2015. The complex is now made up of what were five fires — the Twisp River fire, the Lime Belt fire, the Beaver Lake fire, the Blue Lake fire and the Tunk Block fire. The Lime Belt, Beaver Lake and Blue Lake fires have merged, according to the latest perimeter information from the U.S. Forest Service.
  12. ↑ "Twisp river fire fatalities and entrapments: learning review narrative". FRAMES Resource Catalog.
  13. 1 2 United States Department of Agriculture. 2016. Twisp river fire fatalities and entrapments: learning review narrative. 44 p.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Department of Agriculture .
  14. ↑ Marcy Stamper (July 20, 2018). "Injured firefighter in Twisp fire sues electric cooperative". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
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