By early Monday evening from a little bit beyond Teague Road, the wildfire had calmed. / Courtesy photo by Juan Martinez
Updated
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
The fire fight west of Centralia is winding down but crews will continue work a few more days to make sure smoldering wood is all the way extinguished and complete what they call mop up.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Natural Resources said the charred area was mapped at just under 60 acres.
“They were hoping at the end of today’s shift to have it 100 percent contained,” Rex Hapala said this evening.
Hapala said approximately 85 firefighters worked today, at the forest fire site about three miles past the end of Teague Road.
“The fire wasn’t very active at all last night,” Hapala said.
The blaze began on Sunday afternoon with Riverside Fire Authority responding, and personnel from DNR joining them as flames swept through some 25 acres that included 40-year-old timber.
The initial call was about a slash pile observed burning in a clear cut area off a logging road.
DNR set up a base at Centralia High School yesterday morning as numerous firefighters were summoned from Lewis, Pacific and Cowlitz counties.
The property is DNR Trust Land, managed by the state agency with timber profits benefitting schools.
By yesterday afternoon, DNR Incident Commander Aaron Schmidt estimated the size at 40 acres and called it 25 percent contained. A helicopter dropped water on areas describe as hot spots as firefighters worked in 100 degree weather.
Inmate crews from Larch Creek and Naselle Youth Camp assisted as well.
It was the biggest fire DNR’s Pacific Cascade Region had battled in about two weeks, according to Schmidt.
The closest homes were probably a mile and a half away, at the end of Deep Creek Road out of Adna, Schmidt said.
The National Weather Service yesterday issued a red flag warning for dangerous fire weather, with expected lightning and some was seen in the area this morning, and some moisture came with it, according to Hapala.
Hapala said tomorrow they plan to bring in two new inmate crews to do line work around the perimeter, and create a better buffer zone.
He expects the work will continue through the end of the week.
“We’ll be out there a few more days, continuing to do mop up,” he said. “Some of the bigger fuels are still smoking and burning.”
Looking south, flames rise from the hillside beyond Teague Road around 8 p.m. on Sunday. / Courtesy photo by Tracie Trice
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Teague Road Fire: 08/11/2014 / Department of Natural Resources
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter