Olympic National Forest – Here’s the latest on the Bear Gulch fire burning at the north end of Lake Cushman in Olympic National Forest.
The fire grew by nearly 1,200 acres between noon Tuesday and noon Wednesday for a new total of 7,400 acres. Fire officials said a majority of the fire’s spread was on the north-northwest perimeter of the fire, while critical lines held strong near homes south of the perimeter and in the Mt. Rose area.
Tuesday’s hot, dry and unstable conditions contributed to a smoke column that reached nearly 30,000 feet into the atmosphere. The large column was due to a massive amount of fuel consumption and unstable conditions that allowed the fire to ventilate vertically.
Fire personnel continued to fight the fire with water drops from helicopters.
Crews stayed vigilant near the southern perimeter, west of Lake Cushman, engaging in structure protection and utilizing sprinkler systems. Heavy equipment operations continued fuel reduction and road improvements for fire contingency lines on the west side of the lake. On Wednesday, active fire remains with northwesterly winds reaching gusts of up to 20 mph.
A significant weather shift of cooler temperatures and moisture in the air, beginning Wednesday, will contribute to a gradual reduction in the fire’s spread and intensity as the week plays out.
(Photo source; inciweb)