Incident Commander David Rasmussen assumed command of the Valentine Fire last night. The fire continues to actively burn on the southern and eastern flanks today. It is burning pine needles and downed logs on the forest floor.
Operations: Firefighters are continuing to monitor fire growth, improve condition of containment lines, and conduct road maintenance. These efforts have successfully increased the completion of operational objectives to 30%. The objectives achieved on the Valentine Fire, including line preparation and point protection, were designed to support the Forest Service Wildfire Crisis Strategy, a national strategy to address the wildfire crisis in places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. To learn more about the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, please visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/wildfire-crisis.
Weather: Temperatures will rise to around 89 this afternoon with continued dry conditions. A light northeast wind in the morning will transition to the southwest then west by late afternoon. Cumulus clouds will develop late morning through the afternoon, although chances of rain are very low (15%). Relative humidity this afternoon will drop into the 20-25% range after moderate overnight recoveries.
Safety: The health and safety of firefighters and the public are always the first priority. Members of the public should stay away from Valentine Fire operations.
Smoke: Smoke has become less visible as rainstorms have moved into the Valentine Fire area. An interactive smoke map at https://fire.airnow.gov/ allows you to zoom into your area to see the latest smoke conditions.
Fire details:
Fire information:
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