Firefighters on the Cougar Creek Fire burning just north of the Washington state line are continuing efforts to contain the blaze and working on mop-up operations.

The fire’s size has stayed relatively steady over the last few days and was listed on Friday, Aug. 16 as 24,091 acres. It now is 65% contained, with full containment still expected around Oct. 1. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Some 276 people are working on the fire, which is burning southwest of Clarkston, Washington, about 1 mile west of the intersection with Highway 129 and Grande Ronde River Road.

The road, which was closed from Troy to the intersection with Highway 129 when the fire was first reported on July 15, was reopened earlier this week. All evacuation notices issued in conjunction with the fire — which included an area north of Troy —were lifted as of Monday.

In their Friday fire update, officials said firefighters made good progress Thursday along the northern edge of the fire, increasing containment from Wenatchee Spring to Forest Service Road 40.

Crews working toward the CCC Camp and south toward Saddle Butte removed hazardous trees and snags, to help increase firefighter safety and to reduce interruptions to mop-up operations.

Crews on the southeastern section of the fire continued to patrol in grid patterns to ensure containment lines hold along the steep portions of Forest Service Road 40 at the fire’s edge.

In the area of Mountain View on the southeast section of the fire, crews continued to work on suppression repair within the fire’s interior. 

Fire crews on Friday were scheduled to focus on mop-up operations along the western portions of the fire’s edge. Firefighters along the southern and eastern portions were scheduled to work on suppression repair within the fire’s interior. And crews along the northern portions of the fire will patrol the northern portions of the containment lines.

Weather provided some assistance to firefighters Thursday, as rain fell across the fire perimeter, measuring a quarter-inch and more in some places. But drier conditions were expected to return on Friday. 

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