News Release

Lightning Strikes Sunday Evening Started Multiple Fires in Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest

Date: August 17, 2020
Contact: Penny Wagner - Olympic National Park, 360-565-3005
Contact: Susan Garner - Olympic National Forest, 360-956-2390

Numerous fires were started within Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest on Sunday evening following abundant lightning strikes with minimal precipitation and high fire danger conditions. The National Park Service and USDA Forest Service are coordinating efforts with state and local partners.

There are currently ten fires detected, five in the national park and five on the national forest, and all in fairly remote areas. Several fires are in the interior of the park and the northwest portions of the park and forest. One fire is located in the southeast portion of the national forest on Mount Lena.

The fires range in size from 0.1 to 1.5 acres. Resources currently assigned to the fires include a helicopter rappel crew, type 3 helicopter with helitack crew, 8 personnel fire management module, and three wildland fire engines.

Resources are split up and taking suppression actions on the fires with the highest threat to values. Additional resources including more crews, engines, and overhead are on order. A fire detection reconnaissance flight was conducted late this afternoon and it is expected that additional fires may be found in the next few days. Favorable weather conditions are forecasted later this week with cooler, moist weather which could potentially aid in fire suppression.

No trail closures are in place at this time. More information will follow as it becomes available. 

East Beach Road Fire Update – Road Closure Remains in Place for Public Safety

The East Beach Road Fire at Lake Crescent that started July 29 burned 84 acres and is 98% contained. The hot weather through the weekend tested the security of the East Beach Fire and may have allowed some of the interior heat to burn itself out or clean up the unburned islands. Public safety remains a concern. Debris continues to come down off the steep slope onto the road. Due to the hazardous situation, East Beach Road is closed to all visitor traffic, including bicycles and pedestrians, at the Highway 101 intersection. Log Cabin Resort is still operating and can be accessed via Highway 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 Highway 101 or from Log Cabin Resort up to the hard closure.