A wildfire is burning in the McEwan Prairie area of Mason County and has prompted evacuations northeast of Shelton.
The “McEwan Fire” started about 2 PM Tuesday, July 4th, at the intersection of McEwan Prairie Road and Mason Lake Road. The fire is burning in industrial timberland and private land on flat, accessible terrain but is threatening homes, timber, and power infrastructure. Central Mason Fire & EMS along with other local district resources are coordinating with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and state mobilization assets to combat the fire with three helicopters, four fixed-wing aircraft and 100 personnel.
An estimated 250 acres have burned and at last report the fire was 0% contained. The cause is under investigation. A temporary flight restriction is in place over the fire.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office has enacted Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation zones for neighborhoods surrounding the McEwan Fire.
LEVEL 3 – LEAVE IMMEDIATELY: Rainbow Lake Neighborhood, Little Bear Lane, all of McEwan Drive, John’s Prairie Road from Batstone Cut-Off to Highway 3, Hiawatha Neighborhood
LEVEL 2 – BE READY: Evergreen Drive, Oak Park
The Red Cross began accepting evacuees at Olympic Middle School in Shelton at 8 PM Tuesday. The Shelton Family YMCA is being kept open and staffed overnight as an additional option for displaced residents. And the Ridge Motorsports Park is currently open as an evacuation site for dry camping and RV parking. Overnight security is in place to support community members upon arrival.
Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management Team, under the leadership of Incident Commander Kent Stanford, will assume command of the McEwan Fire at 9 AM Wednesday. The Type 3 team will work with Central Mason Fire, DNR, WFS and other responding resources.