Enterprise Fire Steady

Map of the Enterprise Fire Management Area

Washington Department of Natural Resources

News Release Date: August 8, 2014

Contact: Denise Bausch, 509-754-7886

The Enterprise Fire, burning along the shore of Lake Roosevelt near Fruitland, WA, has not grown beyond 80 acres since yesterday, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. This lightning-caused wildfire is still active but the low winds today gave fire crews a chance to work on strengthening the defensible line they have created around the fire. The Washington Department of Natural Resources hopes to secure the fire line by tomorrow and begin back burns on Sunday provided the weather continues to cooperate. The back burns will increase the amount of smoke in the area which is already heavy at times due to the Devil's Elbow Complex Fire located along Highway 21 north of Keller.

Even though the fire has not grown, the area remains under a level 2 evacuation. The hyper-reach alert system will continue to send out notices to people in the area through their landlines and/or cell phones. If you have not signed up to receive Hyper-Reach notices through your landline phone or your cell phone, visit the Stevens County Website at https://secure.hyper-reach.com/comsignupw.jsp?id=41001 to sign up.

There are currently 100 fire crew working on this fire with an additional 60 crews expected to arrive by tomorrow. They are assisted by two helicopters to help slow the spread of the fire. Fire crews continue to make progress but are slowed by the steep terrain and primitive road conditions in this area of Lake
Roosevelt. National Park Service equipment and staff are also working to shuttle fire crews and ensure the safety of visitors to the Lake.

The partial Lake Roosevelt closure and camping restrictions announced Wednesday remains in place between river mile 52 and
river mile 58 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) charts: M650 (GPS Coordinates: N48 degrees, 02.5 minutes;W118 degrees, 22 minutes) – M655 (GPS Coordinates: N48 degrees, 03 minutes;W118 degrees, 15.5 minutes) ). All recreational boats are prohibited within this area during daylight hours until further notice. The closure is in coordination with the Spokane Tribe of Indians, The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the US Coast Guard, Bureau of Reclamation, Stevens County Sheriffs, and the Ferry County Sheriffs.

Please take a moment for your safety as well as the fire fighters. Pay attention to the weather reports and stay out of the area if you don't live there. By staying out of the area, it is easier for the fire fighters and emergency personnel to get where they need to go quickly. Unauthorized visitors to the area hinder the fire fighters ability to effectively fight this fire and prevent its spread.

For the latest information, check the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area website at www.nps.gov/laro. Information can also
be found on the Lake Roosevelt Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LakeRooseveltNRA and the Lake Roosevelt Twitter feed: @LkRooseveltNPS. Also, the information board located at the Fruitland Store is updated every evening.