Fire crews contain 10% of McEwan Fire near Shelton, as Mason County bans burning
Firefighters have contained 10% of the McEwan Fire just as Mason County announced a full burn ban.
Operations Section Chief Steve Westlake shared the news of the fire’s partial containment in a brief Thursday evening video. Additional flyover video shows large swaths of burned land, some near homes.
The blaze has burned 244 acres of industrial timberland and private land north of Shelton since starting on the Fourth of July, according to a Friday morning update from the Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team.
“The fire continues to burn within its current footprint as crews work to re-enforce and secure the control lines,” the release reads. “The acreage was adjusted down from 257 acres due to the addition of an overhead flight yesterday that was able to more accurately measure the acreage.”
Ninety-four firefighters engaged the fire on Thursday and strengthened previously established control lines. Some of those control lines have since been turned into containment lines, buffers that are about 25 feet or greater that do not require continuous management from firefighters.
The Friday morning news release indicated fire crews plan to use a masticator, a large piece of equipment that grinds up fuels, to strengthen containment lines. About 185 personnel have reportedly responded to the blaze so far.
Central Mason Fire-EMS also announced a full burn ban for Mason County late Thursday evening. The ban went into effect Friday and prohibits recreational burning, such as campfires, cooking, charcoal grills and pleasure fires in concrete, rock or steel.
The ban affects the City of Shelton and all Mason County lands not under state or federal jurisdiction. Residential land-clearing burning was restricted in June, according to Central Mason Fire. With the new ban, the fire department says no type of open burning is allowed in Mason County.
Level 2 evacuation orders remained in place for communities surrounding the fire, meaning people are allowed in their homes but they should be set to leave at a moment’s notice.
Homes along Evergreen Drive and Oak Park should be ready to evacuate in accordance with Level 1 orders, according to the Thursday update. All shelters closed when evacuation orders were downgraded from Level 3 on Wednesday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it started 2 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of East McEwan Prairie Road and East Mason Lake Road.
No homes or structures have been damaged, and no injuries had been reported.
