[1]Smoke rises from hillside across from Mineral Lake. /Courtesy photo by Moira J. Thomas-Fisk McCreery
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Some 55 personnel worked the Mineral area wildfire today which has made its way into mature timber but a couple days of work still remain, according to a spokesperson from the state Department of Natural Resources.
At mid-day, the scorched area was measured at about six acres and the fire 25 percent contained, spokesperson Nick Cronquist of DNR said.
Lewis County Fire District 9 Chief Kevin Mounce said it was about 6 p.m. on Sunday when he looked out a window and saw smoke rising from just to the northwest of the Mineral Lake Lodge, in a clearcut on private property.
Carolyn McKelvie who owns and operates the lodge said it was about that same time she smelled smoke and checked every room in her building.
“My guests had just had a wedding and were down at the lake,” McKelvie said. “They saw flames and came running up the hill.”
The lodge is on the 100 block of Mineral Hill Road across the street from the lake.
The fire came less than a quarter mile from her place but crews have built a large fire break to protect it, McKelvie said today.
Mounce called upon fellow fire departments in Glenoma and Morton to assist and then DNR arrived about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. He turned the scene over to the state agency, he said.
DNR dealt with the fire overnight and yesterday morning it flared up and grew, he said.
“The winds came up around 9:30 or 10 and it started taking off on us then,” Mounce said.
DNR brought in two helicopters yesterday which dropped water on the flames for much of the day, according to Mounce. The terrain is described as very steep.
Today, DNR utilized three hand crews, three engines and a dozer, according to Cronquist. The helicopters remain on standby.
This afternoon, Cronquist characterized the spread potential as very low.
[2]Two helicopters use water from Mineral Lake to suppress fire across the road on Monday. / Courtesy photo by Carolyn McKelvie