OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Fire crews, including 18 smokejumpers, continued fighting the Paradise Fire along the Queets River near Paradise Creek on Saturday.
Cooler, moist weather had helped slow the fire’s progress. As of late last week, it had slowly grown to more than 380 acres around latitude 47.704, longitude 123.801, 13 miles north of Lake Quinault.
As of Friday, park officials said it had been 5 percent contained after burning another 6 acres of timberland as it spread downriver and westward.
A helicopter had been summoned to help fight the fire on the steep valley floor where it was unsafe for firefighters to work on the ground.
Smokejumpers are parachuting into the remote area.
Rainforest timber that usually remains wet in the spring from winter rains has dried out during this year’s drought.
The park characterized the fire as smoldering in duff and old-growth logs on the forest floor and carrying into treetops by igniting lichen. Effects were described as “patchy with scorching of conifer needles.”
Wildfires in the park have been historically rare and usually have been allowed to burn themselves out as a natural process. However, park officials decided to battle this blaze due to the drought and fire season forecasts.
Firefighters plan to employ minimum-impact tactics, using water to extinguish hot areas along the fire perimeter to minimize ground disturbances. The fire is expected to continue to show smoke for much of the summer.
Park officials have closed the Queets River Trail at Bob Creek until further notice to protect public and employee safety.
For more information and updates about the Paradise Fire, visit http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4305.
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The Daily World of Aberdeen contributed to this report.
