PORT ANGELES — The Lake Sutherland fire west of Port Angeles was 15 percent contained Wednesday, and good progress was being made in extinguishing the blaze, firefighters said.
Fire crews have a containment line almost entirely around the fire, said Josie Williams, public information officer for the Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team, the interagency group that assumed command of firefighting efforts on Monday.
“They almost have an entire containment line around the fire so it hasn’t really grown,” Williams said. “They’re working on mop-up operations and making some really good progress.”
The fire — off of U.S. Highway 101 near the Joyce Access Road about 13 miles west of Port Angeles — has burned 108 acres, but crews have laid about 10,000 feet of hose line around the fire footprint.
Cooler weather Tuesday was helpful, Williams said, but the limited rainfall in the area did little to impact the fire. Conditions through the rest of the week are expected to be warmer and drier.
Williams couldn’t say how long crews would be working on the fire, but the management team said in a statement some firefighters were starting to return to their regular units.
Aircraft were no longer being used to fight the fire, Williams said, but that may change if the need arises. The temporary flight restrictions for the area remained in place.
About four houses remained under the lowest-level evacuation advisories and two firefighters received minor injuries, Williams said.
There are no road or trail closures in the area, but travelers are asked to exercise caution when passing by and to not stop on the highway as firefighters and equipment are moving along the road.
Objectives for the remainder of firefighting operations include mop-up, strengthening containment lines, clearing dangerous trees and minimizing heat and smoke where firefighters can access the fire safely.
The fire, first reported at 1 p.m. Saturday, is burning on state Department of Natural Resources lands and the department is investigating the cause of the fire. DNR did not immediately respond to request for comment Wednesday.
Both Clallam and Jefferson counties enacted burn restrictions earlier than expected this year, citing dry conditions. Recreational fires used for pleasure, religious, ceremonial, warmth, cooking or similar purposes are still allowed but are limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
Fire for debris disposal is not allowed and if DNR raises conditions to “high fire danger,” recreational fires will be prohibited as well with the exception of Olympic National Park and other controlled campgrounds.
“We’re still early into the fire season and we hope that people start to look at their own homes and defensible space practices and what they can do to reduce risk around the home,” Williams said. “We do encourage you to do that now.”
DNR has online fire-protection resources for homeowners at dnr.wa.gov/firewise.
It recommends that homes built in forests have a minimum defensible space of 100 feet.
Clearing dead vegetation and branches as well as regularly mowing grass also can help to prevent fire danger to homes.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsula dailynews.com.
