Cool temperatures and light precipitation had a calming effect on the Goat Rocks Fire Thursday, according to Friday’s update from the U.S. Forest Service.
The blaze, sparked by lightning in early August, has burned more than 4,000 acres in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It’s still about a mile and half northeast of Packwood, though it is closer to some neighborhoods along U.S. Highway 12.
“Although most precipitation didn’t make it past the tree canopies, higher humidity was absorbed into finer fuels like brush and small sticks,” the Forest Service wrote. “Large logs and stumps continued to burn, but with less intensity. The fire produced less smoke and did not spread.”
On Friday, the Forest Service predicted that fire activity would continue to be moderated by residual moisture in the air and in fuels. Temperatures were expected to rise into the 70s, with clearing skies.
Warmer, drier air will start to move into the area again Saturday, with winds from the east developing, according to the Forest Service.
High temperatures are expected to be around 80 degrees Monday and Tuesday.
“Ahead of this warm, dry weather, fire personnel are working to secure indirect containment lines,” according to the Forest Service. “Most of these lines are being developed along existing roads where there is already a break in the fuels: the road. The objective is to remove enough trees and brush along lines that fire will be a low-intensity ground fire on the ‘black’ side of the road or fire line, and will not cross to the ‘green’ side of the line. This work is known as line prep.”
To get rid of ladder fuels that can carry flames from the ground up into crowns of trees, which is called torching, firefighters cut lower limbs off trees and adjacent brush. They also cut some closely-spaced trees to reduce the chances of fire moving from tree to tree through their foliage or crowns. Crown fires are more destructive and much harder to stop than ground fires, and can move rapidly if pushed by wind, according to the Forest Service.
Nearly all of the Goat Rocks Fire has been a lower-intensity ground fire.
Dead trees or “snags” and other hazardous trees are cut along roads and other fire lines. These pose a risk to firefighters working near them and can fall across a control line, carrying fire to the “green” side of the line, according to the Forest Service.
Woody materials that have been cut may be chipped or moved to a safe location where they won’t become fuel for the fire. Smaller material like brush, limbs and entire small trees are run through a woodchipper, with the resulting chips scattered on the ground on the “green” side of control lines where they will rot, adding nutrients to the forest, according to the Forest Service.
On Thursday, fire personnel completed a chipping operation on Forest Road 46 from U.S. Highway 12 up to the 46/4610 junction, and along Forest Road 4610 to the 4610/4612 junction. Hazard trees are still being cut along Forest Road 46 to the north.
Firefighters continue to patrol the Timberline and Goat Rocks communities, and around the historic structures at Packwood Lake.
Areas northeast of Butter Creek and north of U.S. 12, including Lower Timberline and Goat Rocks, are still at an evacuation level one (be ready). Upper Timberline remains at an evacuation level two (be set).
For information on current road and trail closures, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060181.pdf
Campfire bans and other use restrictions are in place across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Campfires are allowed within certain campgrounds identified at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices.
To receive alerts from Lewis County in the case of an emergency, sign up at https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/emergency-management/lewis-county-alert/.
