Fish Fire containment at 44% as crews take advantage of weather

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Aug, 5, Crook County will be lifting all evacuations for Fish Fire residents.  As residents return home, they should be aware of fire traffic and incoming wet weather which could make road surfaces slick and cause debris movement in fire scars. The Forest remains under an area closure (see Closures and Restrictions section below). 

According to Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 Incident Commander Dan Dallas, during the past 24 hours, the Fish Fire activity remained minimal, and no growth occurred. This allowed crews to continue to focus on fireline construction and recently detected spot fires in Divisions K and T. 

According to Dallas’ report, it is important to address spot fires early while they are small as they can flare up when conditions become hotter and drier, potentially compromising firelines. Due to success securing existing firelines, containment was increased to 44%.

Friday, crews will take advantage of higher humidity and cooler temperatures, as fire behavior is expected to be diminished once again. They will continue to focus in Division T where the majority of fire activity and heat have been. Recently detected spot fires and places where the fire moved across, or “slopped over” the established fireline will be worked again. On other sections of the fire, crews will continue building and strengthening firelines aided by dozers and helicopters and will also patrol contained sections of the line. 

In the coming days, once firefighters are able to secure existing fire-lines and connect them together, containment will continue to rise.

Wildfires are a no-fly zone for unauthorized aircraft, including drones. If you fly, they can’t. For more information, visit on drone flight safety, click here.