Single Publication

Williams Mine Fire Update for Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Monday, skies were clear over the Williams Mine Fire except for some scattered high-elevation clouds. Taking advantage of the good visibility, a Type 1 Chinook, a Type 2 “Medium” helicopter, and a smaller Type 3 helicopter resumed water drops on the fire west of the South Climb Trailhead. Resources on the ground worked on removing more of the fuels along the access road and near the trailhead in preparation for fire reaching this area.

By late morning, both the Chinook and the Type 2 helicopters had been reassigned to other fires. With multiple new fires breaking out in the region and the many resources already working on incidents, Williams Mine Fire is competing with many other fires for resources ranging from helicopters to Task Force Leaders to Safety Officers.

Despite the sunny, dry weather and gusty winds, the fire did not grow much or make a run up the steep slope yesterday. The water dropped on it Sunday and Monday – over 40,000 gallons – helped calm the fire. Today, fire managers will continue their efforts to keep this section of fire from spreading too quickly toward the South Climb Trail. With tonight’s forecast of possible rain followed by a few days of cooler, humid weather, there is a good chance of holding the fire along this trail.

On other parts of the fire, personnel continue to monitor for hot areas near the control lines that need to be extinguished. On cold areas of the fire, repair work is beginning. Twenty-one miles of dozer lines were constructed on this fire, and they will all need work to limit erosion and stabilize the soils. The work will include removing berms that can restrict water flow, establishing waterbars to intercept rainwater and direct it off of the trails, and applying surface stabilization such as slash or straw over exposed soils. Work will begin on dozer lines in the interior of the fire, and on secondary and contingency lines that are not on the edge of the fire. Primary control lines on the edges of the burned area are still in use and will be left intact for now.

SAFETY AND CLOSURES: 

When the rains return, expect roads to be slick from the accumulation of oil and dirt during dry weather. Slow down and allow more following distance between vehicles.

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Tract D Recreation Area is currently closed, please see Yakama Tract D Road Closure for more information. FS Rd 23 south of FS Rd 90 is still CLOSED to the public due to fire suppression activity. Takhlakh Lake is still closed. The revised closure for the Mt. Adams Wilderness and FS Rd 23 closure can be found at Williams Mine Fire: Area and Road Closure. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from the PCT's intersection with FS Rd 23 to Potato Hill. The current area closure spans the entire Mt. Adams Wilderness.