The Lake Whatcom Fire, ignited by a lightning strike on Monday, is now 90% contained, said Chris Hankey, Department of Natural Resources public information officer.
The north flank of the fire, which has been a particularly hard area to reach for hand crews due to steep slopes and cliffs, has been secured. For the past two days, helicopters have dropped water on the northern area.
“They don’t anticipate doing [water drops] today,” Hankey said Saturday. “They believe they took care of any of the concerns anywhere near the fire line.”
A helicopter will be available for responders if needed Saturday. Two ground crews will continue work to contain the 40-acre fire with the support of several fire engines. These crews will extinguish hotspots they can safely reach and look outside of the known burn area for any stray embers, Hankey said.
Starting Sunday, state and federal resources will likely leave. From there, local DNR fire managers, engines and crews will handle the rest of the fire operations. One of the Northwest Region DNR hand crews may stay to keep working longer, Hankey said, with a decision looming later Saturday.
A Level 1 evacuation order is still in place for residents of Blue Canyon Road, meaning they should consider planning to pack and leave. The evacuation order not only helps to keep residents informed, but to keep outsiders safe as well, Hankey said. Blue Canyon Road is still closed to the public.
“We just really don’t need people driving up and down the road who don’t live there trying to look and see the fire. The area is actually very dangerous,” Hankey said, listing steep slopes and falling debris as hazards.
The initial 911 call reporting the fire was made at 5:20 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28. The public was notified the next morning at 9:35 a.m. through the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Facebook.
