Fire Near Mount Adams Keeps Growing

WILDFIRE  WASHINGTON  ENVIRONMENT 

By Ethan Lindsey

Bend, OR  July 16, 2008 11:25 a.m.

The lightning-sparked fire in the Mount Adams Wilderness Area is now the largest wildfire in the southern Cascades in 14 years.

It has burned 11 square miles since it was reported on Saturday. The fire is only five percent contained.

100 firefighters from Arizona and New Mexico have been called in as backup. That's in addition to the 520 firefighters already on scene, including 50 from Oregon.

The fire has already burned 2400 acres of bug-infested timber on the Yakama Indian reservation. Wednesday, firefighters are working to prevent the fire from reaching the tribe's healthy, commercial timber forest.

It's a dense, roadless part of the forest considered a sacred area by the tribe, where only tribal members can roam freely.

Paul Ries is with Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Paul Ries: “One of the concerns we have with this fire, although it's not impacting communities at this point, and there are no structures involved, there are some sites on the reservation and in the recreational use areas, that are of concern. Access to the fire, with respect to significant cultural sites, would be negotiated with the tribal government of course.”

Firefighters say this fire could be burning all summer and halt hiking and climbing near Mount Adams.

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© 2008 OPB