Firefighters continue to make progress in the battle to put out the East Beach Road Fire near Lake Crescent, authorities said Wednesday afternoon.
The week-old forest fire is 65 percent contained, …
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Firefighters continue to make progress in the battle to put out the East Beach Road Fire near Lake Crescent, authorities said Wednesday afternoon.
The week-old forest fire is 65 percent contained, according to emergency responders.
The fire has spread across 84 acres since its discovery Wednesday, July 29 on the steep slope along the northern shore of the lake.
The elevation of the land, however, continues to pose problems for firefighters, with burning debris rolling down the slope toward East Beach Road.
Burning trees and other fallout from the fire is also a danger to travelers on East Beach Road, and officials announced a "hard closure" for the road was being implemented.
East Beach Road has been closed to visitor traffic at its intersection with Highway 101.
Log Cabin Resort is still open, but can only be reached via Highway 112 to Joyce-Piedmont Road.
Authorities noted that all day-use recreation sites along East Beach Road in Olympic National Park remain closed.
"Firefighters continue extinguishing hot spots and are cautiously and deliberately identifying snags and hazards within the fire footprint to mitigate potential road damage from rolling debris," the Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team said in an update Wednesday.
Smokey skies will stay in the forecast for Lake Crescent and the surrounding area as the fire continues to smolder within the forest understory, officials said.
The number of personnel battling the blaze dropped to 84 Wednesday; three crews and two fire engines remain on the scene.
The cause and the origin of the fire are still under investigation, but officials said the fire is suspected of being human-ignited.
