Washington fire dumps ash on Orofino

A cloud of smoke and ash from the School Fire 16 miles south and west of Pomeroy, WA drifted over Orofino and the surrounding area Saturday afternoon to darken the sky and drop fine particles on the area.

According to information from the Umatilla National Forest the blaze had reached 32,000 acres by Sunday evening and continues to burn actively in steep terrain. The fire is on Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Umatilla National Forest lands.

"The fire is burning on steep ground with dry flashy fuels under timber. Rapid movement of the fire is due to extremely dry fuels, high temperatures, and strong winds," said Steve Jennison, Fire Information Officer for the Incident Command Team. "Steep ground, with flashy light fuels under timber, has caused this fire to exhibit extreme burning conditions today and additional acreage was lost along the north and west edges of the fire. Due to the active nature of the fire, public and employee safety is the number one priority. The public is asked to honor all current road and area closures."

Evacuations were made Saturday in the Stentz Springs, Rose Springs, Baker's Pond, and Lynnville Gulch Road areas. Both Columbia and Garfield Counties requested structural protection assistance through the State Mobilization Act. The loss of 35 structures has been confirmed and over 100 structures are threatened at this time.

The fire was initially reported to the Pendleton Interagency Communications Center late Friday afternoon and is being managed jointly by the Washington Department of Natural Resources and the Umatilla National Forest.

For further information including areas that are closed, see the Umatilla National Forest web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/uma/.

Meanwhile, fire fighting crews have the Long Black Complex on the Clearwater National Forest 60 percent contained. The fire is 38 miles northeast of Pierce in the timber. Steep terrain and limited access are hindering containment efforts. Isolated torching and smoldering have been reported, according to National Interagency Fire Center data. It is reported at 200 acres. It includes fires on Long Creek, Black Canyon and three other smaller fires.

According to Rusty Eck, Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association responded to a small fire in some sawdust at Greer Sunday. The cause appears to be spontaneous combustion.

Photos: Top--The smoke cloud from the School Fire south and west of Pomeroy, WA turned the sun red as it moved toward setting Saturday evening. Bottom--The smoke tinted the clouds and ridges surreal colors.

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