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Overview: The Goat Rocks Fire continues to burn 1.5 miles northeast of the town of Packwood, Washington in and around the Goat Rocks Wilderness. Despite yesterday’s more active fire behavior, its edge remains about ½ mile from Upper Timberline. Firefighter and public safety are the highest priority on the Goat Rocks Fire.  Fire managers continue to make good progress toward completing firefighting objectives; 85% of indirect control lines have been completed with additional direct control line in place around the spot and slop fires in the Coal Creek drainage near the 4610 Road.   

Firefighting Activity: Yesterday, crews on the fire’s western edge focused on containing the fire that had “slopped” (crossed) over the containment line around the previous day’s successful burn operation.  Dozers and hand-crews along with helicopter bucket drops were used to limit growth; fire managers plan to have it mopped up by the end of today’s shift. A fire spotted south across Coal Creek, and was mopped up by the end of yesterday’s shift. Forest Roads 4610 and 4612 have been “plumbed” (hose lines with water supply are in place in case they are needed to hold the fire at established control lines). On the northeastern edge near Dam Creek, fire continued to burn through heavy fuels in that area’s challenging terrain and helicopters worked to suppress that portion of the fire with on-going bucket drops. Mastication and chipping along Forest Road 46 continues, further strengthening it as a control line. A small crew patrolled the Timberline and Goat Rocks communities. Though firefighters have finished work in those neighborhoods, they are leaving equipment in place. Fire managers ask the public to leave the equipment where it is; crews will remove it when appropriate. 

Today, firefighters will watch for hot spots around Coal Creek and scout for another spur that could be treated to serve as another control line near the 4610 and 4612 Roads. Patrols in the neighborhoods will be on-going for the next few days. Along Forest Road 46 in the north, crews will continue mitigating hazard trees and conducting mechanized woody debris removal. Fire managers will monitor the fire in the Dam Creek area. Northwest Incident Management Team (IMT) 10 will welcome Nevada IMT 4 as members of that Type 3 IMT begin arriving today. To ensure an orderly and safe transition, the incoming team will shadow the current team for over a day before taking command of the Goat Rocks Fire on Sunday evening. Weather: Lower temperatures and higher humidity with light westerly winds are expected today through Saturday. Only a trace of precipitation is possible. On Sunday, the pattern changes to offshore bringing a shift to easterly winds and warmer temperatures. 

Forest Closures: For information on current road and trail closures, you can go to this link: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1060181.pdf

Evacuations: Areas northeast of Butter Creek and north of US-12, including Lower Timberline and Goat Rocks, are still at an Evacuation Level 1 (Be Ready). Upper Timberline remains at an Evacuation Level 2 (Be Set).

Fire Restrictions: Campfire bans and other use restrictions are in place across the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Campfires are allowed within certain campgrounds identified on: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/giffordpinchot/alerts-notices.Public Safety: This National Preparedness Month, we are reminding you to develop an emergency communications plan with your family. Decide now how you will check-in with one another if regular communications channels are unavailable. To learn more, visit: https://www.ready.gov/
 
Sign-up For Alerts: To receive alerts from Lewis County in the case of an emergency, sign up at https://lewiscountywa.gov/departments/emergency-management/lewis-county-alert/

The percent of containment on a fire is one measure of progress, but not the only one. Completion of firefighting objectives is another measure of progress. These objectives include construction of control lines and protecting highly valued resources such as the Packwood community, sensitive tribal resources, and historic structures at Packwood Lake.  This deliberate and methodical strategy is designed to achieve these protection goals without subjecting firefighters to unacceptable risk.