OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Rainfall on Wednesday slowed the daytime spread of a wildfire burning in the Queets River valley in West Jefferson County.
The fire was measured at 949 acres Wednesday morning and did not grow throughout the day, said Diane Avendrop, spokeswoman for the multi-agency team managing the Paradise Fire.
“It is a little bit cooler, and there was some rain. Today was a pause day,” Avendrop said, adding it could pick up in the evening.
The blaze is located inside Olympic National Park on the floodplain and hillsides north of the Queets River valley near Paradise Creek, 13 miles northeast of Quinault.
Wednesday’s precipitation wasn’t enough to stop the fire, but it provided some relief from advancement — temporarily, Avendrop said.
The fire — measured via infrared from a helicopter flight in the predawn hours Wednesday — was found to have grown by about 150 acres from Tuesday morning’s 798 acres, she said.
The fire line at Bob Creek and the Queets River is holding, while the fire continues to grow to the northeast, where it is trapped by the valley’s stony ridges, she said Wednesday.
There are now 66 people assigned to the fire, including the leadership team, two on-the-ground crews, two helicopter crews, one water tender and support personnel.
Avendrop said fire growth is most active in the afternoon and evening, and daily mapping of the fire is done “in the middle of the night.”
A less explosive day on the fire line allowed fire managers to begin the transition from a local team of fire managers to the Pacific Northwest National Incident Management Organization, under the command of Bill Hahnenberg.
Hahnenberg and his team, who are based out of Portland, Ore., spent Wednesday working with the local fire managers and are expected to take over fire management today.
Olympic National Park officials have banned all open fires in the park’s wilderness backcountry beginning today.
The ban includes all locations along the wilderness coast and will be in effect until further notice.
Campfires will be permitted only in established fire grates at established front-country campgrounds.
“With the driest May and June on record and staff already committed to suppression of the Paradise Fire, we are enacting this fire restriction to conserve our firefighting resources and to help prevent additional fires,” Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said in a statement Wednesday.
Camp stoves can be used in the park’s wilderness backcountry but should be operated well away from flammable vegetation and forest litter.
Creachbaum urged extreme caution with any open flame.
Drier, warmer weather was expected to renew fire activity Wednesday evening, and the upcoming hot, dry weather forecast for the next week remains a concern for fire managers, Avendrop said.
The National Weather Service forecast for the area today through Sunday includes temperatures reaching into the high 80s or low 90s, with light southwest winds and a possibility of dry thunderstorms late Saturday and into Sunday.
The Weather Service issued a special weather statement Wednesday warning of higher-than-usual temperatures and increased fire danger for Western Washington, including the Olympic coast area.
“The weather has been quite dry the last couple of months, and now, with the hottest weather of the year expected this weekend, fire danger will be high,” the statement said.
“To help avoid starting any wildfires, avoid any outdoor burning, including tossing any burning materials out of your vehicle.”
The Paradise Fire began with a lightning strike around May 17, smoldered for nearly a month and was discovered June 14 when it emerged after a record-dry May and the first half of June.
It had already burned 300 acres at the time it was discovered.
The fire is burning dry lichen and moss in old-growth treetops 70 feet above the forest floor, which drops burning tinders into the deep forest duff below.
Steep slopes, falling rocks and trees, and fire in the canopy make the fire difficult and dangerous for firefighters.
The organization has held three public meetings to discuss the fire: in Port Angeles on Monday, Forks on Tuesday and Queets on Wednesday.
Updates on the fire are posted at www.tinyurl.com/PDN-Paradise.
To report abandoned campfires or smoke within the park, notify the nearest ranger station or park headquarters at 360-565-3000.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
