WILDFIRES: Obstruction Point Road reopens in Olympic National Park

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Obstruction Point Road was reopened to the public Monday morning while the four fires in Olympic National Park saw no growth over the weekend.

Obstruction Point Road was closed on Friday because of thick smoke from the Cox Valley Fire, which is 12 miles south of Port Angeles near PJ Lake, some 2 ½ miles northeast of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center.

The Cox Valley Fire remained at 10 acres and none of the other fires in the park showed any growth by Monday.

The Haynes Fire, 20 miles south of Port Angeles on a ridgeline between the Lost River and Hayes River, remained at 150 acres; the Godkin Fire, 25 miles south of Port Angeles along the Elwha River, has stayed at 90 ares; and the Ignar Creek Fire, about 22 miles northeast of Lake Quinault, remained at one-half acre, said Lisa Wilkolak, fire information officer.

“We have had zero growth over the weekend,” Wilkolak said.

Cooler weather and higher humidity has helped to damp the fires, she said.

Some 250 acres of the nearly million-acre park are smoldering or in flames, the fires ignited by lightning strikes during a July 21 storm, which brought heavy rain and more than 400 lightning strikes to the Olympic Mountains.

About 35 fire personnel were fighting the fires.

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