High heat, low humidity may increase Paradise Fire

Published 12:01 am Thursday, July 30, 2015

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Optimal wildfire weather returned Wednesday to the Queets Valley as the Paradise Fire continued burning up the slopes of Pelton Peak.

Firefighters said smoke could again become noticeable in parts of the Olympic Peninsula as high temperatures and low relative humidity were forecast through Sunday.

A new smoke-monitoring station has been installed in Forks, replacing one that failed, to inform residents about smoke levels until drenching rains can extinguish the fire.

That is not expected to occur until autumn. The fire, meanwhile, had grown 5 acres since July 19 to 1,781 total acres, with airborne infrared detectors showing some isolated heat west of the fire edge Tuesday night.

Firefighters’ strategy is to keep the fire from spreading westward and northward

A variety of online information about the fire is available:

■ For details of air quality, wildfire-smoke health impacts, smoke-modeling tools and guidelines for considering whether to modify activity, visit www.wasmoke.blogspot.com.

■ For information on burn bans in Olympic National Park and surrounding areas, visit www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm and www.waburnbans.net.

■ For real-time information on the fire, visit the Paradise Fire Facebook page.

■ For more information on the Paradise Fire, visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov.