Wildland fire spreads to 367 acres along Queets River in Olympic National Park

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Paradise Fire in the Queets Valley had spread to about 367 acres by Wednesday afternoon.

Olympic National Park officials continued to evaluate the blaze to develop a long-term strategy for managing the fire, said Barb Maynes, park spokeswoman.

The fire, confirmed in the Olympic National Park wilderness Monday, is about 12 miles up the valley from the Queets River trailhead, well within the park boundary.

The Queets River Trail is closed at Bob Creek until further notice.

The blaze threatens no structures, Maynes said.

Its cause remains unknown.

The fire continues to burn slowly along the Queets River near its confluence with Paradise Creek in an area of very tall centuries-old trees, making suppression activities difficult and dangerous for firefighters, Maynes said.

Four park crew members were at the fire Wednesday, and a 10-person wildland fire crew from the Klamath National Forest in northern California was en route.

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