Firefighters got some relief from the weather on Wednesday after minor rainfall swept through the Goat Rocks region.
One-tenth of an inch of rain had fallen as of 7 a.m. Thursday morning, enough to wet the forest canopy and raise humidity levels enough to moisten the organic material fueling the fire, reducing the risk of combustion, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
However, the rain largely failed to reach the forest floor where much of the undergrowth the fire relies on remained dry.
There was no reported growth for the fire Wednesday. It has burned more than 4,000 acres and is still about 1.5 miles from Packwood.
“Large fuels, including logs and stumps, are still very dry. They will continue to burn until fully consumed, soaked by rain and snow, or extinguished by firefighters near containment lines,” said a statement released by The Nevada Incident Management Team 4, which is assisting in fighting the fire. “Most fire spread to date has been through these large fuels, not the finer fuels. Recent rain may have tamped down the open flames, but fire activity will increase again as the moisture dissipates.”
Because some moisture reached hot spots, there will be an increase in smoke due to steam.
The weather is expected to take a warmer, drier turn on Friday, with more wind predicted to start this weekend.
However, the new weather system is expected to be cooler and wetter than the weather experienced earlier this week, though an increase in fire activity is still expected.
Fire personnel completed “brushing” on Forest Road 066 on Wednesday, cutting brush and limbs sticking out into the road, making it safer and easier to drive to structures at the lake. Personnel also did repair work on Forest Road 018, including replacing the culvert at Purcell Creek. Hazard tree removal and chipping is also ongoing along Forest Roads 46 and 4610, which are being prepared for use as containment lines if the fire pushes to the west or north.
For information on protecting property from fires, search for firewise.org. To receive alerts from Lewis County in the case of an emergency, residents can sign up at https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/emergency-management/lewis-county-alert/.
For current road and trail closures, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060181.pdf
