A forest fire near Alder Lake has grown in size again, this time by about 30 acres, and also is being assigned more firefighters and equipment, officials reported Tuesday. As of Aug. 25, the blaze on the south side of the lake in Lewis County has covered 183 acres. The day before, its size was reported as 150 acres by the U.S. Forest Service, which is working with the state Department of Natural Resources to manage it. The number of personnel involved in the effort rose to 95 Tuesday. In addition, equipment has been increased to five bulldozers and nine other pieces of heavy equipment, plus a fire engine. Forest Service officials said Tuesday that the fire, which is burning in steep, rugged terrain on the Lewis County side of the lake, is moving southeast. They also reiterated that while local communities and nearby landowners have been notified about the fire, no evacuation alerts or orders have been issued. In addition to federal forestland, the fire has spread to state and Tacoma Public Utilities land to the north and east, Forest Service officials said. Weather conditions Aug. 25 were expected to have temperatures in the low 60s to high 70s and wind at 4 miles per hour from the northwest. Temperatures Wednesday could be in the low 80s, officials said. The fire was started by a lightning strike Aug. 11. There have been no reports of injuries or burned structures. A public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Mineral School gym building in Mineral to explain discuss the fire response and its status with citizens, said Sarah Rockey, a district engineer for the U.S. Forest Service. Landowners near the fire can contact Rockey at the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District at 360-623-5525 if they have questions.
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