OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — A Pacific storm forecast to drop 2 to 4 inches of rain on the Olympic Mountains this weekend would not be enough to put out Paradise Fire, fire managers said.
The fire, burning through rainforest about 12 miles inside park boundaries in the Queets River valley, has covered 2,796 acres, with no noticeable growth since Wednesday.
The National Weather Service forecast rain beginning today and lasting through at least the weekend and perhaps through the middle of next week across Western Washington.
On Saturday, the rain will become locally heavy at times, with “rather blustery weather expected,” the Weather Service said.
Forecasters predict some 3 to 5 inches of rain to fall on south-facing slopes of the Olympic Mountains and between 1 inch to 2.5 inches in most other areas.
The rain would raise relative humidity and fuel moisture to reduce fire activity, but the blaze would continue to be fed by thick forest, and the dense rainforest canopy would prevent much of the rain from reaching the ground, fire managers said Thursday.
Rainy, cloudy weather would limit aircraft use, so on-the-ground personnel would be removed from remote fires until skies clear, managers said.
Because of the anticipated rainy weather on the Olympic Peninsula, one of the helicopters assigned to the Paradise Fire will be released to another of the many fires burning in Western states.
The fire was started by lightning in May.
Fire managers bid farewell to a high-tech unmanned aircraft being tested over the fire area for the past week.
The 50-pound ScanEagle, with a 10-foot wingspan, was provided at no cost by the Boeing Institute as a demonstration of the craft’s capabilities of monitoring wildland fires without risking pilots in dangerous, smoky conditions or in the dark.
The craft is equipped with infrared cameras and is designed to provide real-time data and information on fire size and growth, fire behavior, fuels and areas of heat concentration.
■ The Hungry Fire is located near the Dosewallips area in the area of Olympic National Park’s Dose Forks Campground, a backcountry area about 16 miles northwest of Brinnon.
The fire remained confined within a half-acre area, and water drops continued on hot spots within the fire boundaries.
Gold Cabin Complex
The two fires of the Gold Cabin Complex in Olympic National Forest, which were sparked by a July 12 lightning storm, remained in a mop-up phase Thursday.
The Gold and Cabin Creek fires were renamed the Gold Cabin Complex as a single managed fire system.
Resources assisting with the suppression efforts include four hand-crews, two engines, two tree faller teams and two water tenders with assistance from Paradise Fire helicopters.
■ The Gold Fire, located near Bon Jon Pass 10 miles south of Blyn, remained at about 10 acres and was declared fully under control Thursday morning.
