A wildfire burning southwest of Port Angeles that’s visible from Victoria has grown to 87 acres (35.2 hectares), a wildfire official says.
In an update Sunday, Thomas Kyle-Milward with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources tells CHEK News the Sutherland fire near Lake Sutherland has grown with an “influx of resources” battling the flames.
The fire ignited around 1 p.m. Saturday, when smoke was visible across the Salish Sea in Victoria, including from Beacon Hill Park.
Previously the fire measured five acres (2.02 hectares), then 50 acres (20.23 hectares), and around 9 a.m. Sunday, officials updated its size to 87 acres.
That’s a “pretty good number,” said Kyle-Milward.
He says a “type 3” firefighting team, as well as air attack, two helicopters, two scooper planes, two 10-person hand crews, six engines, and a fuel module from the National Guard, is working to mitigate the fire.
According to Kyle-Milward, fire investigators have yet to arrive on the scene, so the cause of the fire is currently unknown.
He says winds were a concern for crews Saturday.
“Really powerful winds yesterday. It’s one of the reasons we responded aggressively,” he added. “I’ve not heard of any wind concerns today from that area. I’m guessing it’s less of a factor.”
The Washington State Department’s fire dashboard lists 504 wildfires so far this year, with 2,864 acres burned.
Ethan Morneau
