A small fire that started early Tuesday in Capitol State Forest spread throughout the day but was considered contained by Tuesday evening.
What started about 2:45 a.m. as a fire in a slash pile — a collection of stumps and other woody debris typically gathered to burn — became unstable after winds picked up and carried the flames up the hillside of Rock Candy Mountain. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, it was mapped at 5 acres and had been named B8000.
In a Facebook post, the McLane Black Lake Fire Department made clear that the fire was not started by any Department of Natural Resources burning operations, and units are unsure how the fire started. The zone is an old logging cut area that has become popular for recreational shooting.
On Tuesday afternoon, fire crews from the state DNR were still working the fire by ground and helicopter, and a smoke column could be seen on the west side of Thurston County.
The fire was considered contained at 7:45 p.m.
In an interview with The Olympian, DNR spokesperson Thomas Kyle-Milward said the fire was on a steep incline, burning timber and smoldering. The forest is managed by the DNR and is one of its top sources for timber.
McLane Black Lake assistant chief Chris Patti said the department supported the DNR by supplying water.
