BRINNON — Moisture and cool weather continued to quell wildfires in Olympic National Park as a dozen firefighters stood watch over mostly smoldering blazes, down from 35 at the fires’ height last week.
“There’s still fire — it’s just not being very active right now,” Mike Johnson, National Park Service fire information officer, said midafternoon Monday.
“It’s going to be similar to what has been the last week or two, with some creeping and smoldering as we get through this wet period.”
California units replaced
On Sunday, when precipitation ranged from 0.02 inch in Port Angeles to 0.26 inch in Forks to 0.00 in Port Townsend, two self-contained 10-person “module” units from California were replaced by local Park Service firefighters, Johnson said.
The replacement crews carry their own provisions, including one-person tents, rain gear and other equipment that totals 30-40 pounds, Johnson said.
They wear synthetic, heat-resistant clothing.
Crews stay on for five or six days at a time.
The most active areas are the eastern edge of the Constance fire 15 miles west of Brinnon and the 10 Mile fire near the Duckabush River south of the Constance blaze.
Mostly smoke is issuing from “duff layers,” where forest debris is 4 or 5 feet deep, with scattered flames no more than 2 feet high, Johnson said.
“Fire activity here is definitely different than California, Colorado and the Southwest, where you have large fire activity that typically is a large-scale fire that is burning through crowns and the tops of trees,” Johnson said.
The Dosewallips Trail surrounding the Constance fire and the Duckabush Trail near the 10 Mile fire will both likely remain closed “until fall, if not longer,” Johnson said.
On-site firefighters will monitor the fires until mid-October, when the first heavy rains of autumn are expected to douse them for good.
Lightning ignited 10 Mile fire in June and 11 others July 13.
They have burned 1,148 acres, 930 of which were divided between 492-acre 10 Mile and 438-acre Constance.
Other smoldering fires are the 324-acre Buckinghorse fire, the 140-acre Knife fire and the 4-acre Solduc fire in Seven Lakes Basin in Clallam County.
All but the Solduc fire are in Jefferson County.
The Buckinghorse and Knife fires are in the center of Olympic National Park and are expected to connect.
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Staff writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
