Firefighters say the weekend storms were both beneficial and challenging at the Williams Flats Fire as heavy rain caused flash flooding and washed out several roads.
The blaze, which was sparked by lightning back on Aug. 2, is listed at about 44,600 acres and is currently 45 percent contained.
Following Saturday night’s storms that reduced fire activity, 64 firefighters were unable to return to the incident command post overnight and remained on the fire due to flash flooding. The firefighters were all safely returned to base camp Sunday morning, according to fire officials.
A helicopter will be conducting an overflight Monday of the immediate fire area to assess the damage to the roads and fire suppression areas. A portion of Monday’s efforts will also involve repairing roads to provide safe access to the fire.