Update: Fire in Olympic Nat’l Forest, visible from West Seattle

(Photo substituted 3:01 pm – took this one from Charlestown Hill)
1:58 PM: We’ve gotten a few questions about all the smoke on the east slope of the Olympic Mountains, north of the iconic Brothers peaks, clearly visible from West Seattle. ~~(Our photo is from the hill over south Lincoln Park.)~~ So far we believe it’s this one that’s reported to have closed the Duckabush trail (here’s a map of that area) – still looking for a more comprehensive sense of information.

3:06 PM UPDATE: Substituted a better photo, after checking it out from Charlestown Hill and Beach Drive. Our friends at KING 5 quote authorities on the peninsula as calling this one the “Big Hump Fire.” They report at least 20 firefighters are assigned to it. Also just in – best photo yet, from David Hutchinson on Alki:

4:53 PM UPDATE: First time we’ve seen a cause mentioned – the Peninsula Daily News has a story up now, and says it’s believed to have been sparked by an abandoned campfire.

8:15 PM: The fire’s size has been updated to 50 acres.

Alki Guy September 3, 2011 (2:06 pm)

As usual, when I want to search for something, I find it here first. Smoke increasing dramatically from my beach drive perch…seems much larger than 3 acres. I will keep checking back here . You are the best WSB!!!

WSB September 3, 2011 (2:19 pm)

It’s funny about fire sizes … I came here 20 years ago from Southern California, to work at a Seattle TV station. I couldn’t believe the relatively small sizes of relatively big-looking fires, as listed by the Forest Service, compared to what we had in SoCal (and also Nevada and Colorado, where I’d lived before), but they do produce a lot of smoke, and because the Olympics in particular are RIGHT THERE in all their glory, anything on the east slope is seen by literally millions. Here’s hoping they get it in check. We’ll also have better pix soon, had no choice from up here but to shoot through the wire, but we’re heading down to sea level to check out something else anyway – TR

Paula T September 3, 2011 (2:12 pm)

My hubby and I saw it as we drove around Alki about an hour ago. Clearly, it was a fire of some kind. Looking forward to an answer. Thanks for being on top of things WSB!

Mark September 3, 2011 (2:42 pm)

That ain’t no 3 acre burn. Looks much larger.

Melanie September 3, 2011 (2:59 pm)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/129190913.html

Miranda Taylor September 3, 2011 (5:09 pm)

Wet wood compared to CA…think this is why it’s smokier?

AH Neighbor September 3, 2011 (7:12 pm)

Stopped me in my tracks this evening at Lincoln Park to see all that smoke, still very visible, so I checked WSB to find out what’s going on, thank you again AWESOME WSB!

bridge to somewhere September 3, 2011 (9:07 pm)

LatteRose September 3, 2011 (10:00 pm)

There’s a 6-hour time-lapse webcam in Silverdale that caught the smoke from the fire (the video updates every hour during the day). View before late morning tomorrow!

http://www.drdale.com/cam/index.htm

(Scroll down one screen and wait for it to load. Helps to enlarge image)

mm September 3, 2011 (10:59 pm)

A group of us were hiking in the north central Cascades, past Monte Cristo, and the smoke could be seen from the peaks out there. It’s a sizable blaze.
Disappointed to hear that it was started by an abandoned campfire. People…

dawsonct September 4, 2011 (11:35 am)

Once again, campers, DROWN your campfire, stir the ashes, drown it again, stick your finger into the ashes. If they are still too hot to keep your finger in them, drown and stir them around again until you can put a finger into the ashes and leave it there without burning. THEN pack your gear. Afterwards, check the fire pit again for signs of live coals.

BUBBLES61 September 5, 2011 (3:42 pm)

My son is on this fire…..He called last night to say the terrain is very steep and they can’t get to the fire without being dropped by helicopter……..so they were going in early this morning to drop them off!
It’s a shame that someone possibly disregarded their responsibility in taking a few minutes to put out a fire, has put hundreds of firefighters lives in danger by trying to control it, and keep it from reaching nearby homes.

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