Uno Peak Fire Explained

Uno Peak Fire
Reference:[1] [2]
Date:
Location:Lake Chelan, Chelan County, Washington, United States
Coordinates:48.117°N -120.377°W
Pushpin Map:USA Washington
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of fire in Washington.
Area:8726acres
Buildings:1
Cause:Human caused

The Uno Peak Fire was a wildfire on the slopes of Lake Chelan, approximately 15 miles from Manson, Washington in the United States. The human caused fire was started on August 30, 2017. The fire burned a total of 8726acres.

Incidents

August

The Uno Peak Fire occurred on August 30, 2017, on the steep, eastern shore slopes of Lake Chelan, approximately 15 miles from Manson, Washington. At the time, the cause of the fire remained unknown. The fire expanded to 50acres by the next day. Firefighters immediately began fighting the fire with assistance from one airtanker and three helicopters that provided water delivery. Areas around the fire were closed, specifically the Summer Blossom and Safety Harbor Trailheads and the South Navarre Campground. The fire was burning on fuels comprising timber, grass and rugged terrain.[3]

September

By September 1, the fire had grown to 400acres. Dozers were called in to construct fire lines and crews began preparing forest roads for new fire growth. Two more campgrounds were closed.[4] On September 2, a second fire, the Ferry Peak Fire, was reported a mere two miles northwest of the Uno Peak Fire. Roads and additional trails were closed.[5] The fire had grown to 2511acres by September 4 due to record breaking high temperatures and wind. A voluntary evacuation was put in place for two residences on Lake Chelan.[6] The fire grew overnight to 6159acres and was reported at 1 percent containment. Two properties in the area remained threatened and crews worked on protecting the threatened areas. The historic Crow Cabin was destroyed.[7]

By September 10, the fire had grown to 7236acres, despite moderate temperatures and low winds that helped keep it under 7000acres for almost a week. The Washington Air National Guard began lending air support to the fire with two Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks.[8] The Silver State Hotshots from Nevada arrived on September 13 to help fight the fire.[9] The next day, the fire spread to Big Goat Mountain and Lone Fir Creek. The fire had grown to 8060acres.[10]

October

The fire had subsided by October, burning a total of 8726acres.

Effects/Impact

The Uno Peak Fire burned in prior burn areas from the Rex Fire (2001) and the Safety Harbor Fire (1971). In October, Central Washington Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessed the burn area and requested $84,470 in funding to help with threats to human life, safety, property, and critical natural or cultural resources in the wake of the fire. BAER reported specific concerns regarding the increased risk of flooding and debris laden flows at Safety Harbor and Lone Fir Creek which could impact tourist activities and threaten structures in the area.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Uno Peak Fire. InciWeb. US Forest Service. 15 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122192742/https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5572/ . 22 November 2018 . dead.
  2. Web site: Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Information Brief. Central Washington Fire Recovery. United States Forest Service. 16 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516174739/https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/iwmedia/content//WAOWF/2017-10-04-0908-Central-Washington-BAER-2017/related_files/pict20171015-141008-0.pdf. 16 May 2018. dead.
  3. Web site: Uno Peak Fire August 31, 2017 - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  4. Web site: Uno Peak Fire Update September 1, 2017 - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  5. Web site: Uno Peak Fire September 2, 2017 - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  6. Web site: Uno Peak Fire September 4, 2017 Daily Update - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  7. Web site: Uno Peak Fire September 5, 2017 Daily Update - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  8. Web site: Uno Peak Fire September 10, 2017 Daily Update - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  9. Web site: Uno Peak Fire, September 13, 2017 - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.
  10. Web site: Uno Peak Fire, September 14, 2017 Daily Update - InciWeb the Incident Information System. inciweb.nwcg.gov. 16 May 2018. en.