Olympic National Park Fires Still Slowly Burning
This summer has been relatively mild for wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, mainly due to the massive amounts of rain we received in late spring. However, fires in the Olympic National Park are still slowly burning, and the biggest of them, the Hopper fire, is considered to be only 15 percent contained. Ruh-roh!
For more information, visit www.inciweb.org/incident/2065
The Hopper Fire was started by a lightning strike on August 5, and has since burned through over 385 acres, mostly down the east and west flanks of Mount Hopper. A nine-person fuels crew has monitored the fire since August 18, but are expected to leave soon. The park fire officials will continue to watch it until it burns itself out.
The White Fire, a small fire located in the Douglas fir forest about two miles north of the Enchanted Valley Chalet, has continued to burn since it was discovered on August 17. The fire has only consumed about 1/8 of an acre and overflights report that there is very little smoke and no spreading. Still, fire officials will keep an eye on it until they know it has been extinguished.
What can you, the outdoor enthusiast, do to help prevent forest fires such as these? Well, one way is to use non-flammable LED lanterns instead of propane lanterns. Using cool-burning LED flashlights can also reduce the risk of a bulb overheating and catching a flammable object on fire. Campfires should be kept under control and completely extinguished before leaving or going to sleep, and if you’re going to smoke, dispose of burning butts in proper containers.
