Major wildfires affect parks, roads
Outdoorsy types headed out for the last few weekends of summer may have to adjust some of their plans: The many wildfires burning in the state have closed some roads and filled some campgrounds with smoke, and one state park has been transformed into a firefighting command center.
The most affected area, recreationally speaking, has been Okanogan County, where the Tripod Complex of fires covers more than 130,000 acres and is predicted to keep burning.
Conconully State Park has been turned into a command center, and that will last for the rest of the fire season. However, two boat launches on Conconully Lake are still open.
On the other side of the Tripod Complex, Pearrygin Lake State Park remains open, though the area has been filled with smoke in the mornings, said Ann Spivak, a spokeswoman for Washington State Parks. The smoke blows away by midday, though, and the fire is not threatening the park.
The towns of Winthrop, Twisp, Conconully and Loomis also have been getting heavy smoke, said Spivak. But businesses in the towns remain open.
Dozens of trails and at least 10 campgrounds have been closed in and around the Pasayten Wilderness Area.
And Tuesday, two new fires broke out in the Okanogan National Forest. One, the Tatoosh Butte Complex, is in a remote area about five miles from the Canadian border. The other, the Cedar Creek fire, is about 16 miles west of Winthrop.
Chelan County has been less affected, though crews there are contending with the smaller Tin Pan and Flick Creek fires. Debbie Kelly, a fire-information officer with the National Forest Service, described the fire impact on the Wenatchee National Forest as "minimal."
Still, a few campgrounds and trails around Lake Chelan have been closed. The National Park Service has also banned campfires in most parts of North Cascades National Park and the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.
Near Mount Rainier, the Carbon Creek Road has been closed except to local residents, so hikers can't drive to Coplay Lake, Summit Lake or the Bearhead Trailhead. But for those willing to hike in, the National Park Service is continuing to issue backcountry camping permits at the junction where the road is closed.
In Olympic National Park, the Staircase Entrance on Forest Road 24 remains closed because of danger from rolling rocks and burning debris from wildfires in that area.
In the end, firefighters will need some help from nature to bring the fire season to a close.
"The thing that's going to put this out is fall rain and snow," Kelly said.
This article is republished courtesy of the Seattle Times:
Major wildfires affect parks, roads
