Single Publication

Williams Mine Fire Update for Monday, September 9, 2024 

The Williams Mine Fire continued to be affected by smoke from multiple fires Sunday morning. As the smoke began to clear out mid-day, fire activity increased. Some previously quiet areas showed an increase in visible smokes. Fire personnel checked these areas plus other hot spots identified by infrared. They extinguished a few spots near the edge of the fire, and will continue to monitor hot areas on the interior of the fire. Interior heat rarely poses a threat to the containment lines, but accessing many areas on the fire’s interior is highly dangerous due to falling snags.

The area of greatest concern continues to be the fire edge in the Morrison Creek drainage, west and northwest of the South Climb Trailhead. The relative humidity dropped below the forecasted level Sunday, hitting a very dry 24% and making fuels much easier to ignite and burn. Winds from the west gusted up to 20 mph, pushing the fire toward the toe of a steep slope about ¼ mile west of the trailhead. 

A Type 1 Chinook helicopter and a smaller Type 2 helicopter dropped thousands of gallons of water on this area, slowing the rate of spread but not able to extinguish the many burning logs, snags, and stump holes. Fire managers hope to stall the progression of the fire toward the South Climb Trail until weather conditions turn cooler and possibly rainy Tuesday night and Wednesday. If the fire pushes up this slope too quickly before the weather changes, strategic firing may be used on the South Climb Trail to reduce fuels along it and the likelihood of embers crossing the trail, creating spot fires to the east of it.

This morning, skies were much clearer in the vicinity of the Williams Mine Fire. A haze of smoke hung over the slopes from the pockets of fuel that continue to burn. Westerly winds are pushing much of the smoke from other fires out of this area. This clearer air is likely to allow the fire to become more active earlier in the day, especially when the winds blow. Firefighters are preparing for a busy day, especially near the South Climb Trailhead.

SAFETY AND CLOSURES: 

Fire traffic, school buses, hunters, tourists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, commercial vehicles, and locals are all sharing the roads. Please slow down, drive attentively, and watch out for other traffic.

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Tract D Recreation Area is currently closed, please see Yakama Tract D Road Closure for more information. FS Rd 23 south of FS Rd 90 is still CLOSED to the public due to fire suppression activity. Takhlakh Lake is still closed. The revised closure for the Mt. Adams Wilderness and FS Rd 23 closure can be found at Williams Mine Fire: Area and Road Closure. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from the PCT's intersection with FS Rd 23 to Potato Hill. The current area closure spans the entire Mt. Adams Wilderness.