Constance Foofurb* Fire
Also known as the Heatwave Complex
Location: 15 miles W of Brinnon, Jefferson Co., WA
Specific Location: Olympic National Park, 1/2 mile N of Dosewallips falls, 1/2 mile S of Lake Constance, Lat 47° 44´ 28″, Lon 123° 08´ 56″
Date of Origin: 07/11/2009
Cause: lightning
Situation as of 08/18/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 12
Size: 1,534 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Costs to Date: not reported
Updated acres for the fires in the complex: Ten Mile 628, Constance 438,
Buckinghorse 324, Knife 140, Sol Duc 4, Dose 0.1, Second Column 0.1, Five Ridge 0.1,
Morganroth 0.1, Long 0.1, Wilder One 0.1, Wilder Two 0.1.
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Situation as of 08/08/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 46
Size: 1,398 acres (no update)
Percent contained: 0%
Costs to Date: $478,000
Demob of the Wildland fire management modules. Prepare to transfer command of the incident to the local type 3 organization(Todd Rankin-ICT3), on Monday August 10th.
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Situation as of 08/06/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: 56
Size: 1,398 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Updated acres for the fires in the complex: Ten Mile 492, Constance 438,
Buckinghorse 324, Knife 140, Sol Duc 4, Dose 0.1, Second Column 0.1, Five Ridge 0.1,
Morganroth 0.1, Long 0.1, Wilder One 0.1, Wilder Two 0.1. The acreage reported in block 15
reflects fire growth over the last four days.
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Situation as of 08/03/2009 3:00 pm
Personnel: 41
Size: 1,148 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Constance Fire: The Constance Fire has grown to approximately 442 acres. It is burning in very steep and inaccessible terrain in the Dosewallips River Valley at Constance Creek. Three helicopters are assigned to the fire today for bucket work on the east and south sides of the fire. Seven firefighters are assigned. The west side of the fire is being managed for resource benefit.
10 Mile Fire: This fire has grown to roughly 379 acres. It is located approximately 2 miles inside the park boundary along the Duckabush trail. Two firefighters are assigned. Wildlife surveys and fire effects plots have been completed in the fire area in order to monitor fire effects on wildlife and vegetation.
Buckinghorse Fire: The Buckinghorse fire, in the upper Elwha Valley, was mapped at 312 acres on August 2.
Knife: This fire is located near the Buckinghorse fire. It is estimated to be 15 acres.
Structure protection is in place for Dosewalips Ranger Station and other historical structures.
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Situation as of 08/01/2009 3:00 pm
Personnel: not reported
Size: 350 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Three helicopters are assigned to the fire today for bucket work on the E and S sides of the fire. A squad of firefighters is improving structure protection at the Dosewallips Ranger Station. The W side of the fire is being managed for resource benefit.
Additional Olympic NP fires include
10 Mile Fire: This fire has grown to roughly 150 acres. It is located approximately 2 miles inside the park boundary along the Duckabush trail. Six firefighters are assigned. Wildlife surveys and fire effects plots have been completed in the fire area in order to monitor fire effects on wildlife and vegetation.
Buckinghorse Fire: Due to the remote location of this fire in the interior of Olympic National Park, a detailed assessment of the Buckinghorse Fire is not yet available. The size is roughly estimated to be 100 acres. Today’s plans call for perimeter mapping and a fire behavior update.
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Situation as of 07/31/2009 7:30 am
Personnel: not reported
Size: 270 acres
Percent contained: 0%
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Situation as of 07/30/2009 6:00 pm
Personnel: not reported
Size: 180 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Tree torching and spotting. Blowing embers and burning debris rolling down slope. A helicopter has been ordered.
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Situation as of 07/29/2009 7:00 pm
Personnel: 10
Size: 90 acres
Percent contained: 0%
Old-growth Douglas fir forest. Group torching and short range spotting. Stand replacement fire.
Managed for resource “benefit” and confinement to National Park Service lands using natural barriers, roads, and trails. The Lake Constance and Dosewallips Trails are closed.
*foofurb: euphemism for “fire used for resource benefit.” However, as is usual with foofurbs, no benefits have been elucidated, no EIS created, no NEPA process undertaken or envisioned.
