Outside of some wind gusts, crews battling the Cold Springs Fire southeast of Mount Adams made steady progress Wednesday as they now have it 90 percent contained.
Today, firefighters will continue strengthening fire breaks, which have been carved from 300 to 500 feet wide to assure winds don't fan flames past them.
In addition to strengthening fire lines, crews are also mopping up interior areas where the fire continues to smolder in dry fuels and slash piles left by timber harvests.
For the past two days, crews have held the blaze, burning 11 miles northeast of Trout Lake, to 7,980 acres. Firefighters expect to fully contain the fire that's feasting mostly on bug-killed timber by Aug. 1.
"We're getting some good gusts in this area," said fire spokeswoman Alexis West. "Potentially, (wind) could fan it. But everything has been kept under control. So far, so good."
Two nearby fires, one to the east of Mount Adams and the other to the north, were expected to be fully contained by late Wednesday.
The Sheep Lake Fire is burning on about a half-acre on the north side of the mountain, while the Big Lava Fire has blackened about 15 acres just east of the mountain. The cause of the two fires discovered Sunday is still unknown.
There are now 1,042 firefighters from federal, state and tribal agencies battling the lightning-caused Cold Springs Fire that was reported on July 12. There are two engines, 21 helicopters and 26 water tenders on scene.
In response to increased fire danger, federal authorities have banned all wood cutting in lower elevations of the Okanagon-Wenatchee National Forest spanning Yakima, Kittitas and Chelan counties.
The ban goes into effect at midnight Friday.
In the upper elevations of the forest, also spanning from Yakima, Kittitas and Chelan counties to the Cascade Crest, industrial wood cutting is only being allowed until 1 p.m., and a one-hour fire watch is required after cutting.
* Phil Ferolito can be reached at 577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.
E-mail
Print
Comments
Weather/Forecast
