News Release

East Beach Road Fire Update August 3, 2020

Firefighters are filling portable water tanks on top of the ridge above the fire. These tanks will allow firefighters to have a cache of water to draw from to help cool down and put out hot spots around the edges of the fire.

News Release Date: August 3, 2020

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

East Beach Road Fire Status:

Acres Burned: 84 acres
Cause: Human Caused
Engines: 6
Tenders: 1
Helicopters: 0 assigned but available locally
Hand Crews: 7
Heavy Equipment: 0
Fallers: 4
Containment: 30%
Total personnel: 208

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 is burning primarily on a south facing slope in steep heavy timber with shrub understory and is being pushed uphill by terrain driven winds. Smoke may be visible in the weeks to come as the fire continues to smolder and creep in areas too hazardous for fire personnel to work in. The fire is suspected of being human ignited and the cause and origin are still under investigation.

Current Situation: Firefighters made great strides in containing the fire on Sunday and were productive building line on all sides of the fire. Their suppression efforts were assisted by a cooler weather pattern that developed over the region allowing them to put a fire line around 90% of the fire. Fire personnel were also able to setup a water distribution system that will allow firefighters to use hoses to extinguish hot spots. This hose system will be in place for the duration of the fire. The plan for today will consist of continuing to assess hazards along the edges of the fire and removing those when safe to do so. Line around the fire will continue to be widened and improved.

Evacuations and Closures: East Beach Rd is closed from Hwy 101 to Log Cabin Resort. Access to East Beach Rd between Hwy 101 and Log Cabin Resort is for local residents only. Log Cabin Resort is still operating and anyone trying to gain access to Log Cabin Resort will need to take Hwy 112 to Piedmont Rd. Day use recreation sites along East Beach Road in Olympic National Park are closed to the public at this time.

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

Topographic map of East Beach Road Fire location

Western Washington Incident Management Team