Single Publication

Williams Mine Fire Update for Saturday, August 17, 2024 

KEY MESSAGES:  

Incident objectives remain to limit impacts to the communities of Trout Lake, Glenwood, community infrastructure and neighboring tribal lands. Additionally, NW-13 fire management officials and local cooperators collaborate to identify strategic operational actions to minimize impacts to public infrastructure in our water, roads, power, communication systems and protect those cultural and historic values within and near the fire perimeter itself. 

CURRENT STATUS: 

To ensure fire lines have enough depth to achieve perimeter containment with little to no possibility of reignition, firefighters implemented small scale tactical firing operations along the 150 road to bring the fire edge to indirect containment lines.  Tactical firing ignites fuels between the head/edge of the fire and a containment line to minimize rapid fire perimeter progression, controlling fire behavior with operational actions. This operation will secure line perimeter from progressing towards Department of Natural Resources and private lands. Night operations were positioned along the control lines to continue the work done by handcrews during dayshift hours. 

To minimize fire progression out of the Mt Adams Wilderness, dozers are building a flanking line to keep the fire from progressing out of the wilderness boundary. An anchor point established from the dozers will then be utilized by firefighting resources to reduce the fuel load along the landscape where the fire perimeter will be checked once fire progression nears the constructed fire lines.   

WEATHER / FIRE BEHAVIOR: 

Today, winds will increase out of the east. There is a strong chance of thunderstorms late in the evening with a chance to produce ¼ to ½ inch of rain. A flash flood watch has been issued for the fire area, though it is unlikely to affect the town of Trout Lake. The high winds could cause the fire to grow, but fuel moisture levels may be high enough to limit fire progression.  

SAFETY AND CLOSURES:   

A lost mushroom picker was found by a fire safety officer after having spent the night near the fire area. After providing for care, food and water, the lost hiker was transported home safely. Fire managers remind the local community to be mindful when collecting mushrooms and berries by remaining in groups and being well prepared for emergencies while hiking.  

Washington DNR managed lands near Trout Lake and Glenwood are closed to entry due to the Williams Mine fire. For more information, please see http://www.dnr.wa.gov/ahtanum. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Tract D Recreation Area is closed, please see Yakama Tract D Road Closure for more information. Level 1 & 2 evacuations are in effect for the community of Trout Lake, and parts of Klickitat County. Evacuations are coordinated through the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office. The FS-23 and FS-25 roads are closed, see the Williams Mine Area and Road Closure for more details. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from the PCT's intersection with FS 23 to Potato Hill. The current area closure spans the entire Mt. Adams Wilderness.