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Cougar Creek Fire

Unit Information

Washington 
Ellensburg, 
98926 
Washington 
Ellensburg, 
98926 

Incident Contacts

Cougar Creek Fire
Phone: 509-210-2928
Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Highlighted Activity

Cougar Creek Fire Umatilla National Forest Closure Wed, 07/24/2024 - 11:46… Read more
Publication Type: Closures -
Cougar Creek Fire Daily Update                             August 18, 2024  Quick FactsSize: 24,091 acres                Start Date: July 15, 2024  … Read more
Publication Type: News -
Quick FactsSize: 24,091 acres                Start Date: July 15, 2024        Cause: Under investigationLocation: SW of Clarkston, 1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde River intersectionContainment: 80%         … Read more
Publication Type: News -

Map Cougar Creek Fire Aug. 13, 2024

The Cougar Creek Fire began July 15, 2024 and is currently being managed under a full suppression strategy. Northeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team 1, with Incident Commander Braden Britt, assumed command of this fire at 7 p.m. PST on August 13th, 2024. 

The Washington Department of Natural Resources, Oregon Department of Forestry, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management are cooperating to manage this fire.

Basic Information
Current as of Mon, 08/19/2024 - 11:26
Incident Time Zone America/Los_Angeles
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Undetermined
Date of Origin
Standort 1 mile west of Hwy 129 and Grand Ronde river intersection
Incident Commander Braden Britt, Incident Commander
Northeast Washington Incident Management Type 3 Team 1
Coordinates 46° 2' 20'' Latitude
-117° 19'
4
'' Longitude
Current Situation
Total Personnel: 226
Size 24,091 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 80%
Estimated Containment Date 10/01/2024
Fuels Involved

Timber (Litter and Understory)

Brush (2 feet) 

Timber (Grass and Understory)

In the lower elevations, the primary carrier of the fire was grass when enough fuel loading was present. In the mid and upper elevation, the primary carrier of the fire is in timber litter under timber stands and timber stringers with down and dead woody material and needle litter. On mid-slopes and above, grass and shrub fuels have various levels of greenness, dependent on aspect and elevation and are barriers to fire spread. Near the fire perimeter in the mid to upper elevations, sub alpine fir exists. Moss and lichen are present in some mature trees.

Significant Events

Minimal Smoldering

This fire lies north of the Grande Ronde River and upslope to the 43 Road. The overall aspect is SE with steep incised canyons dissecting a mixed topography of ridgelines, benches, plateaus and secondary drainages. 
Minimal fire activity is expected. Smoldering fire behavior has been limited to large dead surface fuels under existing stringers and patches of timber. Much of the existing timber litter within the fire perimeter was previously removed through firing operations conducted in the past week. These recent burn-out operations have added considerable depth to fire lines in place. Sparse grass and shrubs in combination with recent wetting rain events continue to deter fire activity and or spread.