Rain and snow continued to fall on the Goat Rocks Fire on Tuesday, limiting the fire’s growth potential but also making it difficult for firefighters to safely patrol and improve containment lines.
The fire was 6,196 acres in size and 10% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to an update from the incident management team.
As of Wednesday morning, fire personnel had completed removal of pumps, hoses, and portable tanks from the neighborhoods west of the fire. The supplies have been transported back to fire camp to be tested, cleaned and reconditioned, after which they will be returned to a local fire cache and made available for use on other fires, a process incident managers referred to as “backhaul.”
Slick roadways and limited visibility from rain and snow hampered firefighter operations on Tuesday, according to incident managers. Heavy rain, snow and fog remained possibilities in Wednesday’s forecast.
Where roads are safe to travel, firefighters are patrolling the fire area, addressing any remaining heat that they can safely engage, according to incident managers. Some areas with a heavy canopy of branches and deep duff continue smoldering, along with logs, stumps and other large chunks of wood. Some of these fuels will need weeks or months of rain and snow before they are too wet to slowly burn and produce smoke, according to incident managers.
The fire danger rating for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest dropped to “low” as of Oct. 25. All evacuation notices for the Goat Rocks Fire were lifted by Monday Oct. 24, but a temporary flight restriction remained in place Wednesday.
As work is completed on the Goat Rocks Fire, the staffing is being right-sized and surplus firefighters and equipment are being released to return home and prepare for their next assignment.
A total of 149 personnel were working the Goat Rocks Fire as of Wednesday morning. For current local smoke conditions, visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ or https://fire.airnow.gov/.
For the most up-to-date evacuation information, visit Lewis County’s Emergency Management website or Facebook page. For more information on defensible space visit https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire.
To receive alerts from Lewis County in case of an emergency, sign up at https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/emergency-management/lewis-county-alert/.
More information on the Goat Rocks Fire can be obtained by calling 360-370-4168 or emailing 2022.goatrocks@firenet.gov.
