TROY — Firefighters on the Cougar Creek Fire burning just north of the Washington state border are reinforcing fire lines, extinguishing hot spots — and keeping an eye on the weather.

The size of the fire, 24,095 acres, has been holding steady over the last few days, according to an update issued Thursday, Aug. 15. It is 60% contained; full containment isn’t expected until around Oct. 1.

The fire is burning southwest of Clarkston, Washington, 1 mile west of the intersection of Highway 129 and Grand Ronde Road. Cause of the fire, which started on July 15, remains under investigation.

All evacuation notices and road closures issued as a result of the fire were lifted earlier in the week. 

On Wednesday, crews on the fire line to the north along Forest Service Road 43 road worked to reinforce the control line by identifying hazards and working on hot spots, the Thursday update said. Like much of the fire terrain, the area has steep canyons creating challenging obstacles for fire crews. But control lines remain secure, the update said.

On the western flank, hand crews working along Forest Service Road 40 continued fire line hazard mitigation within the fire perimeter; engines and tankers are unable to access the area because of the terrain.

Reconnaissance flights Wednesday identified no additional areas of concern.

On Thursday, firefighters are scheduled to continue mop-up operations along the west and northwest portions of the fire. On the south and east sides of the fire, crews will continue to remove remaining equipment and supplies. 

Thursday weather conditions call for a high of 75 with conditions turning partly cloudy in the afternoon. There’s an increasing chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.

The website InciWeb has current information on the fire, as does the Cougar Creek Fire Facebook page.