PORT TOWNSEND — Firefighters from East Jefferson County are helping to make progress against the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, Calif.
The blaze, which has consumed 76,825 acres since it began Oct. 23, was reportedly 60 percent contained Thursday, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Two of the crew members fighting the blaze are from East Jefferson Fire-Rescue (EJFR) and a third is from Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue.
They are part of a regional strike team from Puget Sound that includes personnel from the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue, North Kitsap Fire Rescue and South Kitsap Fire and Rescue.
EJFR Chief Jim Walkowski said the crew was scheduled for a 24-hour shift that began at 7 a.m. Wednesday, but the shift was modified so they could rest.
“Today, they are back out on the fire line,” he said Thursday.
Favorable weather conditions helped firefighters make good progress overnight Wednesday and into Thursday, Cal Fire reported.
“Access to the northern part of the fire remains challenging because of steep terrain and narrow roads, but firefighters will continue to build on the progress they made [Wednesday] with even more control lines being established,” Cal Fire stated in an incident report.
The agency said 282 structures have been destroyed and 50 more have been damaged. More than 90,000 structures are threatened, with 80,435 of them being residential.
There were 5,245 total personnel involved in fighting the fire Thursday and four total first-responder injuries, Cal Fire reported.
Full containment is expected by Nov. 7, the agency said.
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
