TROY — Firefighters working on the Cougar Creek Fire burning just north of the Washington state line reported “minimal fire progression” from the blaze on Sunday, and said the First Creek Fire had been contained.

Overall acreage on the fire remained steady at 15,703 acres, even though a cold front hit the area on Sunday, driving 20 mph winds on ridgetops. But Sunday’s cloud cover kept temperatures lower than in previous days and increased relative humidity.

The fire is 29% contained. Full containment is not expected until Oct. 1 or thereabouts.

Hand crews, aided by drones, worked Sunday on tactical burns in the northwest flank of the Cougar Creek Fire while mop-up work continued in southern areas of Wenatchee Creek and through Grouse Flat, where the fire showed minimal to no advancement, according to an update on the fire issued Monday, July 29.

Heavy equipment, including dozers, is focusing efforts on the fire’s southwest corner to complete firelines further to the north and west, where crews have been preparing containment features.

Meanwhile, the 2.2-acre First Creek Fire, burning about 3 miles west of the Cougar Creek Fire, has been contained. Rapellers completed suppression work on the lightning-caused fire Sunday, with assistance from aircraft dropping water. 

In all, 617 firefighters are working on the fire.

A section of northern Wallowa County remains under a Level 2 evacuation, in which residents are urged to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. The area includes all of Grouse Flat from Bear Creek north to state and county lines all the way to the Grande Ronde River. The Grande Ronde Road is closed to Troy to the Highway 129 junction in Washington. Information on Wallowa County evacuation notices can be found on the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Various areas in Washington state’s Asotin and Garfield counties also are under some level of evacuation notice. Information on those can be found on the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page and the Garfield County Emergency Management Facebook page.

For information about the fire, go to the Cougar Creek Fire Facebook page.