Fire crews on opposite ends of Lewis County worked to further contain the Sage Creek Fire and the Backbone Fire over the weekend.
The Sage Creek Fire, first reported on Aug. 20, is located in a remote area south of Walville and the community of Pe Ell on the Lewis-Pacific county line.
According to the fire-tracking app Watch Duty, the fire had grown to roughly 91.5 acres as of about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The estimation was based on the fire’s perimeter uploaded to the National Interagency Fire Center.
“The weather over the weekend and the number of resources really slowed growth,” Wahkiakum County Fire District 4 — located in Cathlamet — said in a Facebook post on Sunday. “The fire is generally smoldering and crews are working on control lines.”
In a news release issued last week, Lewis County Emergency Management said it was in contact with the Washington state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Pacific County officials and “other responding agencies and stakeholders.”
County officials said no structures were currently under threat, and advised citizens against flying drones near the fire or any water-loading areas where aircraft were operating.
“The fire is burning in steep, difficult terrain, making access and containment challenging,” the agency said on Friday. “While ground access remains limited, aerial resources are assisting with water and retardant drops.”
Backbone Fire
On the east end of the county, 142 personnel continued their response to the Backbone Fire on Monday. The fire, located north of Packwood and south of Mt. Rainier National Park, remained at 17 acres and was estimated to be 26% contained.
The fire, caused by lightning, was first reported on Aug. 5. No evacuations have been ordered to date.
In a joint statement from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), DNR, U.S. Department of the Interior, and Nevada Team 2 — a Type 3 incident management team — officials said crews “are checking that the sprinkler system on the south side of the fire is fully functional and ready to wet the southern edge of the fire if conditions change.”
“Crews will be mitigating hazard trees to further secure the fire line and improve fire fighter safety,” officials said on Monday. “The structural group has completed the structural defense plan for the Packwood area. The team will continue to improve defensible space around the Ohanapecosh Ranger Station. Contingency fuel reduction work is progressing well along Forest Road 5290.”
The air quality in the Packwood area was rated as “good,” according to the release.
In a news release on Sunday, the USFS highlighted the work of a 13-person incident management team working alongside Nevada Team 2 to help fight the Backbone Fire. The agency said the team was composed of personnel from Australia and New Zealand and represented over six organizations.
“The Randle-based team is part of the largest Australian/New Zealand firefighting deployment to the United States on record, with over 300 Australian and New Zealand personnel now assisting wildfire agencies across multiple states,” the agency said.
The team combines over 215 years of experience, according to the release.
According to the USFS, the fire’s corresponding road closure order remains in effect for a number of roads and trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest area, including:
• National Forest Service (NFS) Road No. 5290
• NFS Road No. 5290082 (and all associated spur roads)
• NFS Road 1270 from its junction with U.S. Highway 12
• NFS Road No. 1270 at the junction of the Ohanapecosh River to the North Terminus
• NFS Road No. 1270016
• NFS Road No. 1270019
• NFS Road No. 1270020
• NFS Road No. 1270024
• NFS Road No. 1270032
• NFS Road No. 1270047
• NFS Road No. 1270405
• NFS Road No. 4900035
• NFS Road No. 4900405
• Trail No. 164 Backbone
• Trail No. 164A Backbone Lake
• Trail No. 162 River View
“The closure also encompasses common dispersed camping areas located off NFS Road 5290 and the Cedar Flats area off Highway 123, as well as a small section of the Tatoosh Wilderness Area,” USFS officials said in a previous release.
Officials said law enforcement continues to patrol the area.
The closure order has no scheduled end date. To view the complete order, visit https://tinyurl.com/9kcwrtc2.
Two other fires were reported near Packwood on Saturday. Both fires — the Plummer Peak Fire and the Willame Creek Fire — were reported to be under 1 acre in size as of Monday, according to Watch Duty.
To learn more about the Backbone Fire and other fires in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest area, visit www.facebook.com/GiffordPinchot.
To learn of any potential evacuation notices in Lewis County, sign up for Lewis County Alerts at https://tinyurl.com/9uzvvb4n.
