A total of 367 people are battling the wildfire southeast of Cougar
The Big Hollow wildfire burning seven miles southeast of the town of Cougar continues to grow, reaching 22,153 acres according to the most recent estimates provided Wednesday morning by the U.S. Forest Service incident management team in the area.
There are now 367 personnel working the fire, which started Sept. 8 as a strong east wind system pushed through the region. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Containment was listed at 15 percent as of Wednesday morning.
Firefighters suppressed a new start in the Trapper Creek Wilderness on Tuesday, which could have threatened containment lines that have been built along forest service roads in the area.
Evacuation warning levels for the fire remain at level 1 in northeast Clark County, including Chelatchie, Amboy, and part of Yacolt. Level 1 means to be alert. A level 3 “go now” evacuation was issued for the Government Mineral Springs area, though to date no structures have been lost. Crews have been setting up sprinklers to help protect buildings in the area.
During a Facebook Live community meeting on Tuesday evening, it was noted that fire conditions have been largely quiet, with cooler temperatures and light winds. Rain in the forecast for Thursday night through Saturday should also help to buy time for crews.
To date, no air support has been available to help suppress the fire, due to heavy smoke conditions and a lack of visibility.
For the latest updates on the Big Hollow fire, click here.
