Wildfire in Olympic National Forest triples in size, posing new challenges - MASHAHER

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wash. – A wildfire roaring across Mount Jupiter near Hood Canal has tripled in size overnight. As of Friday afternoon, the fire dubbed the ‘Road 2620 Fire’ has consumed nearly 450 acres and is eating its way into Olympic National Forest.

The fast-moving flames have prompted the closure of campsites and hiking trails in the Duckabush Valley area.

Firefighters are being redirected from other operations, including the Pioneer Fire response at Lake Chelan, to assist in battling the flames near Brinnon, a small town along Hood Canal on the eastern edge of the Olympic Peninsula.

“It’s gotten a lot bigger,” said Brinnon Fire Chief Tim Manly, who has been overseeing the firefighting efforts. “With 175 firefighters on the ground and additional crews on their way from Oregon.”

The 0% contained fire, which has spread across Mt. Jupiter, is now visible from several locations in Brinnon, where residents can see a wall of smoke rising from a ridgeline.

“We can clearly see that it’s crested over onto the other side,” Manly said, noting the rapid growth of the fire fueled by dense forest and logging slash.

Access to the fire has been challenging due to the steep and rocky terrain of the Olympic National Forest. “Where that fire was, was in a spot where it was just inaccessible,” Chief Manly explained. “The only way to get in there was by helicopter.”

Steep, inaccessible terrain complicates fire response

On Thursday, the fire was only a few hundred yards from crews stationed on Duckabush Road, with ash falling and the crackle of flames audible. Firefighters have bulldozed a containment line to prevent the blaze from reaching nearby homes. Manly predicts the blaze will reach that bulldozed line within the next 72–96 hours.

The fire’s rapid spread began Wednesday night, when only four acres were burning. By Thursday afternoon, that number had jumped to 150 acres, and by nightfall, it had reached 350 acres.

Fog halts firefighting helicopters

Adding to the difficulties is the marine layer off Hood Canal, which has complicated aerial firefighting efforts.

“The large complexity of it, the large size of it and the weather that’s stayed in a lot longer,” Manly said.

Low visibility due to the marine layer has grounded helicopters needed to pull water from nearby Lake Cushman to fight the fire. Despite the setbacks, blue skies prevailed and around 1 p.m. air resources were finally called in.