BRINNON — A forest fire that has burned some 500 acres southwest of Brinnon poses no danger to people or property now, and safeguards are in place if that should change, a crowd of about 80 was told Wednesday.
“There is no immediate threat at this time,” said Doug Johnson, incident commander of the Central Oregon Incident Management Team of the National Forest Service, at a meeting at the Brinnon Community Center.
“With all of our models, we have determined that the best course of action is to monitor the situation closely and call in extra services if anything changes,” he said.
Johnson, who arrived at the Brinnon command post Tuesday, said the fire area, which is inside The Brothers Wilderness Area, is about 10 miles from U.S. Highway 101 and more than two miles from the point where it could threaten people or property.
The strategy for the Olympic National Forest blaze, called the Big Hump Fire because it started near the “big hump” in the Duckabush Trail, is to allow it to burn until rain quenches it.
Firefighters will stay to keep the fire contained until a rain storm puts it out.
Weather data indicate high temperatures will continue at least through the weekend, Johnson said.
Hot, dry conditions could last another three weeks, he said.
Some 80 firefighters and two helicopters are involved in keeping the fire contained, he said.
The fire area is not accessible by fire personnel ground crews, being in some cases on “a 100 percent slope,” Johnson said.
“Our priorities are to protect people and property,” Johnson said.
“We also need to protect the safety of our firefighters, and with the nature of the fire, we don’t feel that it is safe to send people in at this time.”
Two helicopters make regular trips into the fire zone to dump water on the blaze.
One has the capacity to transport 110 gallons, while the other can carry 300 gallons.
The water is drawn from Jupiter Lake, Johnson said. River water has not been used for this purpose.
Wally Lis, superintendent of the Quilcene and Brinnon school districts, attended the meeting with the purpose of keeping school personnel informed.
“I think everything is under control,” he said.
“It looks like there is a plan in place to deal with any situation.”
On Tuesday night, the fire flared up, burning up steep slopes. Debris rolled downhill, igniting fuels below, which resulted in the blaze spreading up to the ridge top, said Pam Sichting, National Forest spokeswoman.
Helicopter water drops were used to minimize the spread.
As of Wednesday, 103 personnel were assigned to the fire.
The slow-moving blaze remained largely on the ground but was potting in the trees, creating “holes” of fire within unburned trees, said Heather Fisher, Forest Service spokeswoman.
The fire is in a steep, heavily wooded area with some old-growth trees — Douglas fir, hemlock and red cedar.
A deep buildup of needles, leaves and brush provides a large amount of fuel for the fire.
The fire is not expected to reach the Olympic National Park boundary.
There are no further community meetings planned at this time.
They will be scheduled as needed, said spokeswoman Pam Sichting.
Johnson said there was no reason for people to cancel their recreation plans in the area, as long as they stayed clear of the designated fire areas.
He acknowledged that hunting season was about to begin and that it was important that hunters observe all trail closures, which will be indicated at www.inciweb.org/incident/2599.
The website is updated at least three times a day, Sichting said.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
