OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A fire burning in the Queets Rain Forest has burned 1,025 acres as of Sunday morning and was continuing to grow slowly.
Fire managers’ fears of rapid growth in the fire due to high temperatures and low humidity didn’t appear Saturday evening, but the National Weather Service issued new warnings of fire danger for Sunday through 11 p.m., and more hot, dry weather is expected through the week.
Somewhat drizzly conditions set in Sunday over the Paradise Fire, which was expected to help firefighters’ efforts.
“It has not been as bad as predicted in the forecast,” said Donna Nemeth, spokeswoman for the Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Organization, the fire management team leading the effort to contain and control the fire.
Fire crews had not yet reported Sunday afternoon’s growth by 4 p.m. Sunday, but Nemeth said she believed conditions were favorable to slow fire growth.
On Sunday night, fire managers were expected to review computer models that map lightning strikes during storms and check any sites where additional fires may have been sparked, she said.
The Paradise Fire is located inside Olympic National Park on the floodplain and steep hillsides north of the Queets River valley near Paradise Creek, 13 miles northeast of Quinault.
As of Sunday afternoon, the fire in West Jefferson County was 20 percent contained on the western lines near Bob Creek and along the Queets River and on the south side of the fire. The containment level moved from 5 percent to 20 percent as of Saturday.
The fire continues to advance up the slopes of Pelton Peak, Nemeth said.
Fire behavior has included slow growth overnight and during the early day and more active fire growth in the late afternoon and evening.
There currently are 94 total personnel assigned to the fire, including two wildland firefighting teams, an embedded paramedic and two helicopters.
Record high temperatures were seen in West End areas Saturday, as the official National Weather Service weather station at Quillayute State Airport near Forks recorded a high of 94 degrees — breaking the 86-degree record for June 27, set in 2000.
The early season heat and dry conditions have caused concern for fire managers.
“If this fire were happening in August or September we would be much less concerned about it than we are here in June. There is a lot of fire season ahead of us,” said John Giller, operations section chief for the incident management team.
Olympic National Park has instituted a ban on open fires in the park’s wilderness backcountry, including all locations along the coast, until further notice.
Campfires are permitted only in established fire grates at established front country campgrounds.
Camp stoves may still be used in the park’s wilderness backcountry, but should be operated well away from flammable vegetation and forest litter.
Burn bans are in effect across the North Olympic Peninsula, including all areas of Clallam County, Jefferson County and the Olympic National Forest.
Fireworks and incendiary devices, such as exploding targets, are prohibited on all lands protected by state Department of Natural Resources and are illegal in the city of Port Townsend.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
