CL-415 Super Scoopers aid in fighting fire near Pe Ell

A wildfire broke out six miles south of Pe Ell on Friday, July 12 around 12:30 p.m. The Donkey Fire is currently 38 acres and 87 percent contained as of July 16. The fire is in steep, timbered terrain and the cause has not been announced, though Statesman Journal data reports it is a human incident.

Skamokawa residents noticed the "Super Scooper" planes Friday afternoon moving water from the Columbia River north for several hours to mitigate the growing fire, located only 6.8 miles north of Wahkiakum county and around 16 miles north of Skamokawa, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. As smoke clouds created a thin layer of haze over the valley, alarmed residents grew concerned about safety and the proximity of the fire.

An incident command center is set up at Pe Ell school district building. There are currently no evacuations in place and crews are working to create control lines using helicopter and plane support. With upcoming warm weather and high pressure remaining over the region, conditions remain dry and hot. There are 115 people working to maintain the situation.

Find more information regarding the status of the fire on the Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Teams Facebook page. In addition, InciWeb provides incident maps when fire size reaches 100 acres.

Currently there are six new wildfires in Washington, ranked from low to medium level danger, listed on the Northwest Coordination Center. Wahkiakum County has been in a burn ban since Friday, July 5 and until further notice. For more information regarding approved burning, view the county website https://www.co.wahkiakum.wa.us/.