Post by L Roebuck on Jul 25, 2006 15:16:48 GMT -5
A 3-acre wildfire near Ape Cave that broke out Monday could spread upslope by the wind, the U.S. Forest Service reported.
As a precaution, the agency closed off Ape Cave and Road 8303 at the Trail of Two Forests Trailhead, according to Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
"We will monitor the situation this evening and, based upon the status of the fire, will assess what facilities and roads will be open tomorrow," Mulder said in a press release.
Monday afternoon, fire crews and equipment were en route to the fire, and a 3,000-gallon air tanker was ordered to the scene.
The fire was burning in an area about a quarter-mile south of the entrance to the Upper Cave. One positive factor is that much of the terrain is made of the rocky surface of an old lava flow, so "the fuels are pretty spotty," said Peter Frenzen, monument scientist.
On the other hand, it's a difficult area to fight fires in, he said.
"The biggest challenge is the afternoon winds," he said. Ape Cave is the longest lava tube in the United States and is located southwest of Mount St. Helens in the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
For the latest information on the status of Mount St. Helens roads and facilities, visit the Gifford Pinchot National Forest web site at:
www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/special.shtml
Article: www.tdn.com/articles/2006/07/25/area_news/news03.txt
As a precaution, the agency closed off Ape Cave and Road 8303 at the Trail of Two Forests Trailhead, according to Tom Mulder, manager of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
"We will monitor the situation this evening and, based upon the status of the fire, will assess what facilities and roads will be open tomorrow," Mulder said in a press release.
Monday afternoon, fire crews and equipment were en route to the fire, and a 3,000-gallon air tanker was ordered to the scene.
The fire was burning in an area about a quarter-mile south of the entrance to the Upper Cave. One positive factor is that much of the terrain is made of the rocky surface of an old lava flow, so "the fuels are pretty spotty," said Peter Frenzen, monument scientist.
On the other hand, it's a difficult area to fight fires in, he said.
"The biggest challenge is the afternoon winds," he said. Ape Cave is the longest lava tube in the United States and is located southwest of Mount St. Helens in the 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
For the latest information on the status of Mount St. Helens roads and facilities, visit the Gifford Pinchot National Forest web site at:
www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/recreation/current-conditions/special.shtml
Article: www.tdn.com/articles/2006/07/25/area_news/news03.txt
