Submitted by US Forest Service
The Paradise Fire continues to burn north of the Queets River in Olympic National Park. The west end of the fire is not moving and the wet line there is holding. The fire is located approximately 13 miles northeast of Quinault and has grown to 407 acres in size. It has moved into exceptionally steep terrain. Heavy mixed conifer fuels, snags, and the precipitous landscape pose a significant threat to firefighters. Rolling rocks, burning debris and falling snags are common in such areas. Smoke jumpers who had been staffing the fire were released today since the fire has spread into an area that is inaccessible. Firefighter safety remains a top priority, and crews will engage only when it is safe to do so.
“We are doing everything possible to minimize the fire’s spread, but right now we do not have many options,” said Todd Rankin, the park’s Fire Management Officer. “Traditional suppression tactics do not work in this fuel type since the fire spread is occurring in the forest canopy, not on the ground.” Lichens, growing high in the tree tops, are catching on fire and carrying the flames from tree to tree. Fire behavior analysts have determined that this is the Olympic Peninsula’s driest year since 1951, the year of the Forks Fire.
The weather forecast calls for continued hot and dry weather, and the Paradise Fire suppression efforts will likely get more complex. A Type 2 Incident Management Team has been ordered and is expected to arrive on Wednesday to assist the park. Current resources include two fire modules with 18 total firefighters, two helicopters, and numerous support personnel.
If you have questions, please contact Fire Information at 360-565-2986 or click here for more updates.
