When Gov. Jay Inslee set out to go hiking with some friends last weekend, he experienced the effects of the Jolly Mountain Fire first hand. Forest officials told his group to stay out of the woods.
“Being the governor, doing my part as a good citizen, I stayed out of the woods,” Inslee said.
Inslee was briefed on the progress of the Jolly Mountain Fire on Tuesday at the fire camp near the Cle Elum Airport. Deputy Incident Commander Rob Allen, whose Type 1 Management Team took over the operation Tuesday, discussed how firefighting efforts were going on the west side near Lake Cle Elum, the south side and the East Side near Wagon Wheel and the Teanaway. The transition to a national Type 1 team indicates the fire had grown complex and become a priority.