FIRE REPORT: Williams Mine Fire expands rapidly

WHITE SALMON — The Williams Mine Fire started Monday at about noon and was only burning five acres; however, the fire quickly expanded to more than 2,700 acres Tuesday and expanded again to about 4,500 acres Wednesday with no containment according to NIFC. According to InciWeb, a national fire tracking site, the fire is currently wind-driven and moving primarily south. Smoke will be heavily visible for Trout Lake and surrounding communities until the fire is contained.

The fire is in Skamania County near the Steamboat Mountain Lookout. There are several trailhead closures in effect. There are also level one, two and three evacuations in effect for surrounding areas. A Red Cross shelter opened Tuesday at Columbia High School in White Salmon to serve those displaced by the blaze.

Locally, a small fire started shortly before noon in a wheat field just east of Banks Lake. The fire was put out quickly and only burned an estimated four acres. 

The three largest fires actively burning in Washington on Tuesday:   

The Swawilla Fire, ignited by lightning at 11:30 p.m. July 17, is currently Washington's largest active blaze, having consumed approximately 53,500 acres. Despite its size, the fire is 94% contained, according to InciWeb. Full containment is expected by Aug. 22. A total of 446 personnel are working to control the north end of the blaze. 

The Pioneer Fire, now the second-largest active wildfire in Washington, remained at about 36,800 acres Wednesday. Containment remains at 12%, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire, which ignited around 1 p.m. July 8, is located 10 miles southwest of Stehekin. A crew of 756 is working to fight the blaze. Full containment is estimated by Oct. 31.  

The Retreat Fire, the third-largest active blaze in Washington, has remained at 44,600 acres as of Wednesday. The fire, which ignited around 4 p.m. July 23, is about 14 miles southwest of Naches. Fire containment has improved, increasing from 53% on Tuesday to 64% on Wednesday, according to InciWeb. Currently, 543 personnel are actively engaged in firefighting efforts. 

No new fires started or were contained in Washington on Wednesday.  

These fires were burning in Washington on Monday, according to the NIFC:  

The Cougar Creek Fire, which ignited at 8:13 p.m. July 15, has remained at approximately 20,700 acres with containment steady at 35% as of Wednesday, according to InciWeb. The fire is about one mile west of the intersection of Highway 129 and the Grand Ronde River. Currently, around 488 personnel are actively constructing containment lines and protecting threatened structures and resources. Full containment is projected for Oct. 1. 

The Easy Fire, sparked by a dry lightning storm at 7:55 p.m. July 17, expanded from nearly 1,100 acres Tuesday to 1,500 acres on Wednesday, according to InciWeb. The fire, burning 17 miles west of Mazama, remains uncontained as of Wednesday. Efforts to control the blaze involve 218 personnel. Fire managers estimate a containment date of October 1.

The Flat Creek Fire started on Friday and expanded from 10 acres to 20 acres and no containment as of Wednesday. The fire is in Chelan County, near Flat Creek.   

The Miners Complex Fires, comprising nine separate blazes, remain at 650 acres as of Wednesday, according to InciWeb. The fires remain uncontained. The fires, which erupted July 17 and 18, are 21 miles east of Darrington. Containment is estimated by Oct. 31, fire officials reported. 

The Pincer Two Fire ignited July 18, has scorched 115 acres and remains uncontained as of Wednesday, according to InciWeb. The fire is one mile east of Mineral Park and was triggered by the same lightning storm that started the Miners Complex Fires. Currently, 15 personnel are working to control the blaze. The estimated containment date is Oct. 31, InciWeb reports. 

The Salmon Creek Fire started at about 11:30 a.m. Monday in Okanogan County. The fire expanded from 500 acres Tuesday to 800 on Wednesday, according to NIFC, with no containment. The fire is burning east of the Conconully Dam. 

The Shoofly Fire has held steady at 104 acres and is 63% contained as of Wednesday, according to InciWeb. Ignited on July 8, the fire is located nine miles north of Stevens Pass. No personnel are currently assigned to the blaze. The cause remains undetermined, with an estimated containment date of Oct. 31. 

The Wolf Fork Fire started Monday at 2:08 p.m. in Columbia County. The fire has burned 10 acres with no containment as of Wednesday, according to NIFC. There are no evacuation orders in effect as of press time.  

Other fires reported throughout the state have burned less than 10 acres and are not included in this report. The majority are less than an acre.  

Grant County’s wildfire danger continues to be very high. The Grant County Sheriff’s office has asked area residents to be careful with anything that could cause a wildfire.  

Air quality was moderate Wednesday for the Columbia Basin, according to the website AirNow, which is operated by a consortium of government agencies.