— from the Orcas Island Fire and Rescue District —
At 06:27am Orcas Island Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a wildland fire in the area of Mountain Lake.
Responding crews found a small vegitation fire approximately 40 feet x 30 feet. An immediate response from more than twenty-five(25) personnel and eight (8) apparatus helped to quickly secure and suppress the fire scene. State Park crews will be monitoring the area for a minimum of seven (7) days. There will also be signs posted in the area for hikers to be on lookout for area hot spots.
The exact cause of the fire is human caused, likely from cigarette butts. Preliminary reports indicate this was a fire in the forest duff. Duff is the layer of decaying forest litter consisting of organic material such as pine needles, leaves, plant and tree materials covering the mineral soil. Orcas Island Fire & Rescue takes this opportunity to remind the public that there is a full burn ban in effect issued by Department of Natural Resources for all State Parks. Due to our hot dry weather, fire danger is unusually high and the public is urged to use extreme caution with all flammable materials
In honor of the wonderful Orcas firefighters,(and firefighters all over the country) we and some of the neighbors will NOT be setting off any fireworks at our homes or anywhere.