[1]A fixed-wing plane flies over the wildfire at the Pacific-Lewis county line. / Courtesy photo by Mary Huels, DNR
Updated at 9:33 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A forest fire burning southwest of Pe Ell has drawn some 200 individuals who have set up camp for the night at the Falls Creek Retreat Center about 10 miles west of town in Pacific County.
The fire was reported at 5:15 p.m. yesterday and is on private timberland owned by Rayonier.
“Right now it’s all industrial timberland, not a large threat to any homes or personal property,” Nick Cronquist, a spokesperson for the state Department of Natural Resources said this evening.
Late this afternoon, flames had run over some 93 acres, according to Cronquist. It doubled in size overnight.
“It’s really big for this neck of the woods,” he said. “It boils down to the weather we’re having.”
Seven fire engines, eight water tenders and 13 hand crews battled the blaze today, along with three helicopters, plus a fixed wing plane which is supervising all the aircraft, he said. It’s zero percent contained.
The firefighters come from local area fire districts, DNR and even some from the National Forest Service, he said.
A tanker which would fill its belly with water from Willapa Bay was ordered, but Cronquist said he didn’t know if it got any runs in before the sun went down.
The smoke and glow are within eye site of the town of Pe Ell, at the far west end of Lewis County, he said.
A crew from the Larch Correctional Facility brought a kitchen in, he said.
The National Weather Service began warning earlier this week that an expected combination of low humidity and east winds would cause vegetation to dry out, making conditions ripe for wild fires.
Lewis County Fire District 11 Chief Michael Krafczyk was among those who gathered this morning at the VFW Hall in Pe Ell to strategize for the day. District 11 provided water support today.
The fire is under the command of DNR’s Pacific Cascade Region.
Nobody has been injured, Cronquist said, but winds yesterday evening caused them to pull crews off the fire.
No night operations were planned, but two engines will monitor the fire, he said.
A morning briefing is planned for 6 a.m., and they’ll get back at it, he said.
•••
CORRECTION: This news story has been updated to correctly reflect the number of hand crews working the fire today.
[2]Local fire departments join crews from DNR battling wildfire at the Pacific-Lewis county line. / Courtesy photo by Mary Huels, DNR
•
[3]Courtesy image Department of Natural Resources