Single Publication

Williams Mine Fire Update for Sunday, September 1, 2024

The Williams Mine Fire put up another plume of smoke yesterday as the fire continued to spread north up the ridge near Morrison Creek. The growth has been in a fire scar, mostly burning down logs from the previous fire as a low-intensity ground fire. This area is in the Mt. Adams Wilderness and is not threatening the community of Trout Lake or private lands. Fire managers continue to monitor the fire by air and from the ground, and will take action to slow the fire’s spread if appropriate. Helicopters are available for water drops.

In response to the increased fire activity near Morrison Creek, fire personnel will start clearing fuels along the South Climb Trail to prepare it for use as a control line, if needed. Some of the work will consist of removing chunks of down logs, brush, and low limbs from trees to provide a break in the fuels.

Much of the Williams Mine Fire is burning in fire scars from the 2008 Cold Springs Fire, the 2012 Cascade Creek Fire, and the 2015 Cougar Creek Fire. In areas where these previous fires burned intensely, most of the mature trees were killed. This left a landscape with many large areas of standing dead trees (called snags), plus fallen dead trees. These intensely burned areas can be seen from a distance as the grayish areas on the lower slopes of Mt. Adams.

Brush, grass, and some young trees have grown since the previous fires. This has created large, fairly continuous areas with plenty of fuel, ready to burn again. On August 5, 2024, lightning provided the spark, and the Williams Mine Fire began. In many areas, it is consuming these dense fuels on the ground, cleaning up the site and reducing future fire danger. 

SAFETY AND CLOSURES: 

Some people continue to enter the closed areas on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, endangering themselves and fire personnel working on the fire. Security guards are now staffing the roadblocks 24 hours a day. Violators who enter the closure are subject to fines up to $5,000 and up to six months imprisonment.

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Tract D Recreation Area is currently closed, please see Yakama Tract D Road Closure for more information. FS Rd 23 south of FS Rd 90 is still CLOSED to the public due to fire suppression activity. The revised closure for the Mt. Adams Wilderness and FS Rd 23 closure can be found at Williams Mine Fire: Area and Road Closure. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from the PCT's intersection with FS Rd 23 to Potato Hill. The current area closure spans the entire Mt. Adams Wilderness.