OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Paradise Fire continued to creep slowly to the east and west along the north side of the Queets River valley Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
It was estimated to be about 1,570 acres and growing by about 10 to 20 acres per day.
The fire was slowed when a marine layer of cool, moist air pushed inland to the fire 13 miles inside the Olympic National Park boundary, according to Wednesday’s fire update issued by the National Incident Management Organization team managing the blaze.
Underbrush, trees, lichen and moss did not ignite or burn as quickly as they did last week in hotter, drier weather.
Firefighters confirmed that the three spot fires that crossed to the south side of the Queets River produced no visible smoke.
Based on reports from firefighters on the ground, the fire did not grow significantly, so fire managers decided to wait to do an infrared scanning flight to update the fire perimeter and acreage.
Fighting the fire has cost $1.6 million as of Wednesday morning, according to the Incident Management Situation Report, a national report of daily fire activity.
Warmer temperatures and lower humidity were expected to result in increased fire activity Wednesday.
Winds from the west were expected to keep the fire moving east, away from the western boundary, and were expected to push the western boundary of the fire back into the already burned area.
Longhouse celebrates graduates
PORT ANGELES — Twenty-one Native American graduates were recognized at a recent special celebration at the House of Learning Longhouse on the Peninsula College campus.
“It was a great honor to be part of the very first longhouse graduation celebration,” graduate Judi Villella of the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe said.
Of this year’s 484 students approved to graduate, 21, or 4 percent, self-identified as Native American, according to a news release.
Graduates from many nations were recognized, including S’Klallam, Makah, Tlingit, Maidu, Ute and Citizen Potawatomi.
This year’s graduates include Jessica Humphries of the Jamestown S’Klallam and Jennifer White of the Makah, who have been Peninsula College longhouse scholarship recipients.
For more information about the longhouse and multicultural and inclusion services at Peninsula College, email Leora Gansworth at Longhouse@pencol.edu.
Honored grads
BELLINGHAM – Western Washington University honored its Outstanding Graduates — seniors chosen for their grades, service to campus and community, and promise for the future — at its recent commencement.
Two students from the North Olympic Peninsula received this honor: Kodiak Murphy of Quilcene and Alastair Duncan of Sequim.
Murphy, the son of Debbi Gottschalk, received a Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics, magna cum laude.
He plans to move to California to begin the doctoral program in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, where he will do research in atomic, molecular and optical physics.
Duncan received a Bachelor of Arts in business administration, also magna cum laude, with a concentration in management information systems.
The son of Bob and Mary Jane Duncan, he plans to work in the technical development program at Liberty Mutual Insurance.
