'Hotshot Fire' near town of Oso grows to an estimated 130 acres



OSO, Wash. -- A wildfire was sparked Thursday night off Highway 530 in the Oso area and was spreading.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources named it the "Hotshot Fire."

“I saw flames. It all happened so quickly and the flames went up and we’ve been watching it ever since,” Amanda Olson, who lives nearby, said Friday.

As of Friday afternoon, it has covered an estimated 130 acres and was growing on DNR land. Officials said no homes were threatened, but there was logging equipment in the area and an emergency communication tower for Snohomish County.



The fire is located in a timber area currently being harvested and was burning in mostly downed timber, the DNR said.

Throughout the day Friday, helicopters dropped water, attacking the blaze from the air.

“It’s scary, if you just look, where all that clear cut is, the fire just went up and it keeps going,” added Olson.

The smoke and flames have been a distraction for drivers in the area.
“I was just going for a ride on the bike and seeing this thing, pulled up and thought I’d check it out,” said Wayne Lively, who lives in Everett.



The fire is on a 60 degree slope, and there are a lot of hazards there, the DNR said, adding that it was impossible to fight the fire in the dark.

Authorities said the fire had died down a bit overnight, but that hot weather could make the situation worse on Friday.
Fire crews say a wildfire this time of year is a unusual.

“It is awfully early,  it’s a lot drier out there we’ve had a really hot month without much rain and it stresses these trees,” said Jay Smillie, DNR spokesperson.