16 new wildfires break out near Crater Lake

Crews still have a 25-acre wildfire in Crater Lake National Park 75 percent contained, but the past two days of storms have ignited 16 new blazes around the park, totaling about 35 acres, officials said Thursday.

Several of the new fires can be seen from the road that circles the deep, blue lake, according to fire officials who are now calling the group of fires the Pumice Complex.

Crews were working on a dozen of the identified fires, each of will be fully doused, officials said, and are searching out the rest.

While helicopters make bucket drops on some fires, rappellers are working two blazes and a crew of smokejumpers were called up, since some of the fires are in remote areas without roads.

Meanwhile, nearly 200 firefighters are working on the first blaze, the Pumice Flat Fire, which has burned 28.5 acres but is 100 percent lined.

Wednesday night’s storm dropped rain on the west side of the park, officials said, but it had no significant impact on dry conditions as more days of afternoon and evening thunderstorms are forecast.

Officials asked the public not to stop on roadways when traveling through the park, but instead to use pull-outs if they want to take photos.

The Pumice Flat Fire was spotted Monday burning in the forest about two miles north of the southern park boundary. Officials believe it was ignited by last week’s round of lightning.

Here’s Katie Higgins’ report from her visit to the park on Tuesday:

A wildfire in such a special, beautiful spot leaves many Crater Lake lovers worried about the wildlife.

“So we have a couple meadows in there that are salamander habitat, as well as some unique trees,” wildland firefighter Brian Gorman said Tuesday.

While firefighters try to save trees and animals, they are facing extreme danger as well.

“Concern for our firefighters on the ground is that the area has been affected by beetle kill,” Gorman said.

Beetle kill can cause snags, which are dead trees that could fall and kill someone.

Firefighters on the ground are working on the flanks and moving toward the tip of the fire.

“Kind of like when you light a match, it burns hottest at the tip and less on the sides,” Gorman said.

That’s exactly how this fire is behaving.

As of now, all park facilities and operations remain open to the public, though officials said Hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail could be affected in coming days.

More information and updates on the Pumice Flat Fire can be found at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4014/