News Release

East Beach Road Fire Update August 6, 2020

Firefighters work to remove a hazard tree from East Beach road within the fire footprint. Trees like this are what firefighters are diligently monitoring as they move into mop up phase of the fire.

News Release Date: August 6, 2020

Contact: Fire Information Line, 360-565-2986 (7am-10pm)

East Beach Road Fire Status

Acres Burned: 84 acres
Cause: Human Caused
Engines: 2
Tenders: 0
Helicopters: 0 assigned but available locally
Hand Crews: 3
Heavy Equipment: 0
Fallers: 2
Containment: 75%
Total personnel: 84

Incident Summary: On Wednesday, July 29 at 4 pm a wildfire was discovered just north of East Beach Road near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. The East Beach Road Fire was first reported to Olympic National Park Fire Management. The fire continues to smolder on a south facing slope in steep heavy timber with shrub understory acting as the main fuel. The fire is suspected of being human-ignited and the cause and origin are still under investigation.

Current Situation: Firefighters deliberately work to mitigate and manage falling trees and debris within the East Beach Road hard closure area. As fire smolders and creeps in forest duff, crews will continue to extinguish hot spots within the fire footprint. Due to the steep hazardous terrain some of these hot spots will remain inaccessible for fire personnel and will continue to produce occasional smoke. The familiar wispy clouds of the Pacific Northwest that settle into hillsides and valleys can often be mistaken for smoke. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “water dogs” by firefighters. Last night’s rainfall created several water dogs around the Lake Crescent area. While smoke from the fire is expected until early fall, water dogs will also be present as cooler wet weather settles over the region.

Road Closures: Due to the hazardous situation, East Beach Road is closed to visitor traffic at the Hwy 101 intersection. Log Cabin Resort is still operating and can be accessed via Hwy 112 to Joyce-Piedmont Rd.
All day use recreation sites along East Beach Road in Olympic National Park are closed. Local residents can access property up to 2 miles west of Hwy 101 or from Log Cabin Resort up to the hard closure.

Cooperating Agencies: Olympic National Park, Department of Natural Resources Olympic Region, Olympic Interagency Fire Management, Clallam County Sheriff’s Department and Emergency Services.