OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Eight firefighters were assigned Sunday to the 10 Mile fire, which spread from 10 acres to about 150 acres overnight.
The fire, which was ignited July 13, was about 10 acres Saturday evening, but dry conditions continued to fuel it, said Diane Abendroth, who is working with Olympic National Park on fire management.
Upslope winds accelerated the spread of the fire, a news release from Olympic National Park said Sunday.
Just an estimate
“The 150 [acres] is just an estimate at this point,” she said.
“We flew [over] it several times, and by Monday [today], we’ll have a much better idea of what we’re dealing with.”
The decision to fight the fire actively rather than letting it burn itself out was a result of the smoke.
“With conditions such as they are, the smoke just got to the point that it was time to work on putting that one away,” Abendroth said.
The eight firefighters assigned to that fire are in addition to the 10 assigned Saturday to fight the 350-acre Constance Fire.
The eight are working on the east side of the 10 Mile fire.
“On the other side, there is just no way, with the steep slopes,” Abendroth said.
As a result of the Buckinghorse fire in Jefferson County, the Duckabush Trail from the La Crosse Pass trail junction to the park boundary was closed.
The size of the Buckinghorse fire has not yet been assessed because of its remote location.
Closures extended
Trail closures were extended Saturday to include the main Dosewallips trail from the park boundary to the junction of the Gray Wolf Pass, as well as the Dose Meadows trails, the Constance Pass trail and the trail from Dose Forks to Honeymoon Meadows.
In addition to the Constance, Buckinghorse and 10 Mile fires, blazes still burning Sunday night were the Solduc and Morganroth fires in Seven Lakes Basin in Clallam County, and the Knife fire in Jefferson County, all of which began Wednesday and remained under an acre Sunday night.
Six smaller fires throughout the park’s wilderness had burned themselves out by Saturday night.
National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg said dry conditions in the Olympic Mountains were expected to continue through Wednesday afternoon with a possibility of rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“We aren’t really sure at this point how much to expect and if it will help extinguish those fires,” he said.
“The temperatures will cool to about the mid-70s by Wednesday, so that will help stabilize the atmosphere, so possibly there won’t be any thunderstorms, which would be good.”
A red flag warning was issued Saturday. Weather conditions Sunday did not call for a red flag, and one was not expected today.
“We are constantly monitoring whether that is needed,” Burg said.
Fire management updates can be tracked on the Web at www.inciweb.org.
For trail closure information, phone 360-565-3100 or click on www.nps.gov/olym.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
