Park staff confirmed yesterday that an approximately two acre wildland fire is burning in the wilderness of Olympic National Park. The Mt. Dana Fire is located about 21 miles south of Port Angeles in the geographic center of the park. The fire was reported on August, 31 after there was a series of lightning strikes on the Olympic Peninsula recorded from August, 28 - 31.
Fire personnel performed a recon flight over the area yesterday and observed the fire burning on the western slope of Mt. Dana. The fire is smoldering and creeping in Subalpine Fir with pockets of heavy forest debris at an elevation of 4,400 feet.
The weather forecast is calling for slightly warmer temperatures with a chance of showers in the next few days, to be followed by a normal seasonal pattern by the end of the week.
Smoke from the Mt. Dana Fire may be visible in the coming week from Hurricane Ridge and Obstruction Point Road depending on weather conditions.
Olympic Interagency Fire Management resources from the NPS and USFS will continue to monitor fire behavior in the coming weeks. The current plan is to manage the fire for resource benefit, while reducing suppression cost and firefighter exposure to potentially hazardous rugged and steep terrain. The fire does not pose an immediate threat to human life or structures.
The National Park Service is mandated to preserve resources such as plants and animals, along with the natural processes that sustain them; including fire. Naturally occurring wildfire is an integral part of the forested ecosystems in Olympic National Park.
There are no trail or area closures at this time. Additional information will be provided as the situation dictates.
For more information about fire management and fire history in Olympic National Park, people can visit the park website at http://www.nps.gov/olym/learn/management/fire-management-1.htm
Tags: wildland fire interagency fire management wildfire fire management
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
