A firefighter was injured Friday while fighting the 700-acre Miriam Fire burning near White Pass. Fire management officials reported that the injured firefighter was airlifted to a local hospital, but further details and his status were unknown Friday evening. The lightning-sparked fire nearly tripled in size Wednesday and Thursday and is zero percent contained. Firefighters said a sustained aerial attack Thursday involving five helicopters and multiple air tankers helped keep the size smaller. The fire was detected Monday 32 miles southwest of Naches in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area.
With the air drops slowing the spread, “the problem firefighters are facing is that there’s no access roads to get into the area,” said Ken Didion, an off-highway vehicle ranger at the Naches Ranger District. He said wilderness areas typically have steeper terrain, which makes a direct attack more difficult.
As of Friday afternoon, the cost of fighting the Miriam Fire was estimated to be at least $575,000, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. The agency reported that 323 residences and 60 other commercial or residential structures were threatened by the fire.
Didion said no structures have been threatened directly by the fire, and firefighters have been working to establish a fire line along the road to protect them.
While the higher humidity and lower temperatures have helped considerably, a large amount of dry fuels in the area is an issue. The humidity takes a long time to get to the fuels, Didion said.
The fire prompted the evacuation of Camp Dudley, Camp Zarahemla, the Clear Lake Grace Brethren Camp and 25 Forest Service campsites in the Clear Lake area Tuesday. Staff also were evacuated from Camp Prime Time, but no campers were there this week.
The area covered by evacuation orders expanded Friday to surround Rimrock Lake. A Level 3 evacuation order, meaning “go now,” was given Thursday for the area on the north shore of Rimrock Lake, according to the Yakima County Office of Emergency Management.
A Level 2 evacuation order is in place for Silver Creek and cabins at Andy Creek, Boot Jack, Russell Creek, Indian Creek Corral, Bear Creek and Bear Cove, according to the management team. Level 2 means people should be packed and ready to leave in case the fire gets closer.
About 170 responders were on scene Friday, including three 20-person crews, a helicopter, 15 engines and a bulldozer.
Tieton Road was closed to Forest Service Road 1203, according to fire officials. The fire is named for the Miriam Creek Basin, where it is burning.