A Clallam County Fire District No. 2 truck sits beside the smoky fire that burned near the Elwha River this afternoon.  —Photo by Jay Cline ()

A Clallam County Fire District No. 2 truck sits beside the smoky fire that burned near the Elwha River this afternoon. —Photo by Jay Cline ()

‘It’s been a long day’: Wildfire near Elwha River keeps firefighters busy

PORT ANGELES — More than a dozen firefighters battled a smoky wildfire on the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation on Sunday afternoon.

The fire began on the Elwha River side of the dike behind a house at 107 Charles Road, and burned southward to Lower Elwha Road, said Clallam County Fire District No. 2 Assistant Chief Dan Huff.

No structures were burned, though a greenhouse on Lower Elwha Road was threatened, Huff said.

The fire was reported at about 1:10 p.m., and firefighters stopped the slow-moving blaze after it had consumed an area of about 300 feet by 100 feet by 3 p.m., he said.

There were 10 firefighters from Port Angeles-based District 2, with assistance from Clallam County District No. 4 of Joyce and a brush crew from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Huff noted that the firefighters had just completed a barn fire training at Baker Farm Road, and had been fighting the training fire since 8 a.m..

Many of the firefighters were just clearing the training effort when they were called to the Elwha fire.

The training burn was planned in anticipation of what is thought could be among the most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent history on the Olympic Peninsula.

“It’s been a long day,” Huff said.

________

Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.

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