Wildfire — Northeast Mountains, Washington

2021-09-01 to 2021-09-17 · Northeast Mountains, Washington

Event narrative

The Ford Corkscrew Wildfire was ignited, near the town of Ford, due to an unknown cause on August 15th. The fire spread to the east, further threatening the towns and communities of Tum Tum, Springdale, Clayton, and Loon Lake, which led to numerous evacuations. Ford Corkscrew Fire destroyed at least 18 residences and eight outhouses or barns. There are no reports of injuries or fatalities. The fire burned a total of 15,777 acres before fully contained on September 17th. The cost of the firefighting resources required to contain the fire was calculated at $8,000,000.

Wider weather episode

The active 2021 wildfire season continued with nine destructive fires burning almost 100,000 acres, contained by the end of September. They were fueled by many days with windy conditions and low relative humidity. Cooler temperatures, with more moisture and wetting rains, helped with containment.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 986442. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.