Single Publication

EVACUATION LEVEL 2 – BE SET!
All areas north of Butter Creek are at Level 2 (Be Set) evacuation. This includes Upper and Lower Timberline, Goat Rocks, Riverdance, and parts of High Valley. This is precautionary due to Goat Rocks Fire behavior. Packwood proper is not under evacuation status at this time. See accompanying Public Information map.
Monitor https://bit.ly/LewisCountyAlerts or https://bit.ly/LewisCountyEMFB for changes.

Yesterday: A smoke inversion lingered over the Goat Rocks Fire for most of Monday, and this restricted aerial operations on much of the fire. The inversion helped keep temperatures down and relative humidity higher at low elevations, reducing fire activity. The fire continued to creep around in the Coal Creek drainage, but did not move closer to structures near US 12. Crews and other resources worked to get new containment lines around this part of the fire.

At higher elevations above the inversion, temperatures were warmer and relative humidity dropped into the 20% to 30% range. These conditions allowed for active fire growth, including on steep slopes below Three Peaks toward Lake Creek. To the north, fire continued to burn in the Dam Creek drainage to Forest Road 46, where engine crews kept it south of the road.

Since they were unable to fly on the Goat Rocks Fire due to the inversion, helicopters assisted the Kalama Fire and other fires on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Today: Similar weather is expected today, moderating fire behavior. Crews will reinforce containment lines and cool the fire’s edge in the lower part of Coal Creek. Engines will patrol the neighborhoods to the west.

A Hotshot crew will be scouting in the Lake Creek drainage, looking for opportunities to slow the fire’s growth to the south. Fire is spreading in this area from burning debris rolling down steep slopes and igniting fuels, with fire then burning uphill. Helicopters plan to drop water on this area to slow fire spread if conditions allow. Some of these slopes are covered by stands of younger conifer trees, where water dropped by helicopters has a better chance of getting past the trees canopies and reaching the fuels on the ground.

On the north edge of the fire, engine crews will cool the fire as it reaches Forest Road 46. Removal of woody debris along Forest Road 46 is expected to be completed today.

Weather:  Today’s weather should be similar to yesterday’s, but with slightly lower relative humidity. An inversion will reduce fire activity at low elevations. The fire is expected to be more active at higher elevations due to warmer and drier conditions above the inversion. Temperatures and winds will be moderate. Warm, dry weather is expected the next few days before a cold front is predicted to bring showers late this week. 

Forest Closures: A road and trail closure within the Gifford National Forest is in place. Closure order: https://bit.ly/GoatRocksClosureOrder 
Closure map: https://bit.ly/GoatRocksFireClosureMap