Wilderness fires are quiet, and likely to stay that way for several days.
Temperatures in Olympic National Park were cooler than normal the past four days, and overnight humidity recovery has been excellent. The four fires in the wilderness continue smoldering, and almost no smoke was visible Saturday.
On Saturday, fire managers released the additional resources who helped with monitoring and long term planning while the fires were active. Olympic National Park’s fire personnel will continue to monitor the fires.
“Keep informed on fire weather conditions and forecasts” is the first rule all wildland fire personnel follow when deciding what fire management actions are appropriate.
The National Weather Service’s “Fire Weather Forecast” for the fire areas Sunday through Tuesday calls for continued cool and cloudy conditions, and light winds. Existing fires will continue smoldering, without growing. There is some possibility of lightning late Sunday, yet that is predicted primarily over the North Cascades. Fire managers will carefully monitor lightning in the area to see if any new fires occur in the park.
The extended forecast for Wednesday August 10 through Saturday August 13 indicates a warming and drying trend. The fires may begin to burn actively again, much like a campfire that wasn’t fully extinguished. Park visitors and area residents can expect to see more smoke when the weather gets warm and dry again.
This will be the last daily update until fire activity increases again. If dry conditions return Wednesday as forecast, a new update will be provided on Thursday August 11.
Background information about these fires, as well as photos and videos, are available online.
Below is a summary of the fires. All four fires were started by lightning on July 21, 2016.
| Fire Name | Godkin | Hayes | Cox Valley | Ignar Creek |
| Initial Report | 7.25.2016 | 7.26.2016 | 7.28.2016 | 7.29.2016 |
| Size | Approx. 90 acres | Approx. 150 acres | Approx. 10 acres | Approx. ½ acre |
| Location | 25 miles south of Port Angeles along the Elwha River | 20 miles south of Port Angeles on a ridgeline between the Lost River and Hayes River | Approximately 12 miles south of Port Angeles, near PJ Lake north of Obstruction Point Ridge | Approximately 22 miles northeast of Lake Quinault |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.