Lightning-Caused Fire burning in Mount Rainier National Park’s Wilderness
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Contact: Patti Wold, 360-569-6701
A lightning-caused fire was ignited when a storm cell moved through the park on Saturday, September 8th. The Three Lakes Fire is being managed under a full suppression strategy due to limited firefighting resources that are currently in high demand for large fires, and to the fire's close proximity to the historic Three Lakes patrol cabin and the Wenatchee National Forest boundary. Suppression efforts include construction of fire line in steep terrain using Minimum Impact Suppression Tactics, and water drops. The fire is at 5 acres, 80% containment, and is expected to be fully controlled on Tuesday. It is burning near the east park boundary within a mile of Three Lakes. Saturday's fire activity was mainly smoldering and creeping with torching of isolated trees, backing downhill within containment lines. North Cascades Smokejumpers arrived Sunday morning to assist with ground operations. The Laughingwater Creek Trail is closed from SR123 to the crest for visitor safety. All other park trails remain open. Smoke in the area is mostly from fires burning outside the park. Twenty-five personnel are assigned to the incident including North Cascades Smokejumpers, Mount Rainier National Park firefighters, a helicopter and crew from Denali National Park, and additional support staff. More information and updates are available on Inciweb.org, www.facebook.com/MountRainierNPS, www.twitter.com/MountRainierNPS. |
Did You Know?
The first photograph taken at the summit of Mount Rainier was taken at noon on August 14, 1888. Among the group photographed that day at the crater rim are naturalist John Muir, and P. B. Van Trump, one of the first two men known to have reached Rainier's summit.