The U.S. Forest Service has ordered evacuations of residences in the Timberline, High Valley and Goat Rocks communities, east of Packwood. The level three evacuation notice
means anyone in those areas need to leave immediately.
Packwood residents have been placed on level two evacuation notice of a high probability to evacuate and to prepare now by packing necessary items for the potential of having to
depart.
Matt Mahe, a member of the Forest Service Incident Command on the Goat Rocks wildland fire burning northeast of Packwood said, “The fire is growing faster than we can react –
it has the potential for spotting.” Smoke from the fire has made it increasingly difficult for Forest Service Rangers to monitor the blaze.
The fire, which was started by a lightning strike August 9 has burned more than 90 acres as of Friday.
“The fire is now within 2 ½ miles of Packwood,” Mahe advised Lewis County Emergency Management Deputy Director Ross McDowell by telephone Friday afternoon.
McDowell met with Lewis County Manager Erik Martin on Friday to discuss emergency plans involving Lewis County Sheriff’s deputies and local firefighters, who McDowell says
may go 'door-to-door' in some areas to alert people of the impending wildfire threat as is safe and necessary.
Original source can be found here.
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