PORT ANGELES — Firefighting crews were inserted into Olympic National Park near the Low Divide and Martins Lake fires on Wednesday and more firefighters were to be put in on Thursday while cool, moist weather kept fires at Hurricane Ridge restrained, park officials reported.
That could change over the next few days, officials said in a press release, since a warming and drying trend was expected.
But as of late Wednesday, Eagle Point Fire remained at 70 acres. Obstruction Point Road and the trailhead remained closed.
The Hurricane Fire was 80 percent contained and remained at 4 acres. The Hurricane Ridge Road will remain open to the public.
The crew of four firefighters sent in to the two fires in the interior of the park on Wednesday and the new crew members were expected to help facilitate visitor safety on the North Fork Quinault and Skyline Primitive trails, officials said.
The Martins Lake Fire, 2 miles northeast of Mount Christie, is visible from the lakes; however, no closures were anticipated, officials said. That fire is reported as being 0.1 acre.
The Low Divide Fire in the North Fork Quinault drainage was reported at 4.5 acres.
“Hikers and backpackers should adhere to directions given by firefighters and rangers when traveling through the area,” officials said in the press release.
The 25-acre Diamond Mountain Fire, 3.3 miles northeast of Anderson Pass, and the 1-acre Delebarre Fire, 3 miles southeast of Mount Christie, showed no change on Wednesday.
Tunnel Creek Fire
The Tunnel Creek Fire, estimated at just under 1 acre, located east of the Buckhorn Wilderness in the Olympic National Forest, was 60 percent contained on Wednesday.
All six active fires in Olympic National Park were ignited during a series of lightning strikes on Aug. 28.
On Aug. 18, Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest implemented a fire ban including charcoal fires.
The move to Stage 2 fire restrictions is due to continued hot and dry conditions that are forecast to continue at least through the end of October.
