7/4/2015 Paradise Fire Update

Paradise Fire Update 

July 4, 2015

For Immediate Release
360-797-5366

The Paradise Fire continued to grow slightly on Friday, as the hot and dry weather conditions caused active burning well into the evening hours. The estimated size is now 1240 acres. Firefighters have been successful in holding the fire north of the Queets River, and the majority of the fire activity continues to be on the northern perimeter on the slopes of Pelton Peak. Firefighters are keeping a close eye on this weekend's weather forecast, with higher temperatures and lower humidity expected to be of great concern, especially on Sunday.

Although the Paradise Fire is estimated at 21% contained, 100% containment is not an objective on this unique fire. The tools for measuring success such as "percent contained" are not designed for fires like Paradise, which is a "confinement" fire. The team's objective is to stop the fire's spread south and west and confine it within Park boundaries. Limited action will be taken on the remaining North and East perimeters at this time, due to safety concerns & inaccessibility of terrain. Firefighter safety remains our top priority. The fire will be allowed to run its course to the North and East as a natural part of the Park's ecosystem, until it reaches the next, pre-identified, accessible natural barrier when tactical action will be considered.

Olympic National Park officials would like to remind the public that there is a ban on open fires in the park's wilderness backcountry, including all locations along the coast. Campfires are permitted only in established fire grates at established front country campgrounds. Because of the extreme conditions on the peninsula, Olympic National Forest and local communities have also implemented fire restrictions. Fireworks are illegal on federal and state lands. Olympic peninsula communities welcome visitors, and ask people to celebrate and recreate responsibly, keeping fire danger in mind, especially during this Fourth of July weekend.

Information on this fire is available on Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4305/. For real time information, visit our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paradise-Fire/831205013596015.  For current information about visiting Olympic National Park, as well as information about the history and role of fire in the Olympic ecosystem, please visit the park's website at http://www.nps.gov/olym.

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Paradise Fire Information Staff

360-797-5366