Firefighters work to contain McEwan Fire near Shelton, but evacuations downgraded

All Level 3 evacuation orders in Mason County prompted by the McEwan Fire were downgraded to Level 2 at noon Wednesday, according to the Mason County Sheriff’s Department.

The Level 3 orders put in place on Tuesday required people to leave their homes immediately. Under Level 2, residents of the 200 or so affected homes were encouraged to remain away from the area, but they could return if they could remain prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice.

The brush fire remained at 0% containment on Wednesday afternoon and was covering 257 acres, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

The Western Washington Type 3 Incident Management team took over fire management at noon, Thomas Kyle-Milward, DNR’s wildfire communication manager, told The Olympian. The team will provide more resources and organization to crews on the ground.

The fire had not spread past fire control lines as of Wednesday morning, Mason County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Matt Colbenson told The Olympian. There had been no known structure damage or injuries, he said.

Crews were working to reassess all affected areas and hold and strengthen the control lines, the deputy said. Colbenson said high temperatures and low humidity posed some challenges, but crews were backed by state resources, including ground and air assets.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also authorized the use of federal funds to help cover firefighting costs in the McEwan Fire. On Tuesday, Willie G. Nunn, FEMA’s Region 10 administrator, determined the fire threatened to cause destruction that could lead to a “major disaster.” It was the second time FEMA has given a Fire Management Assistant Grant to Washington this year.

Colbenson said crews hoped to get people back in their homes as soon as possible, but are checking hotspots that might contain dry fuel.

The Red Cross was operating an evacuation center at Olympic Middle School, and the Shelton YMCA and Ridge Motorsports Park both offered aid and shelter to any evacuees.

Shelton Mayor Eric Onisko told KIRO 7 Wednesday morning that this fire reminded him of 2012′s massive Power Line 2 wildfire.

“My screensaver is from the fire 10 years ago in October — it was in the same location,” he said. “And we had the same issue: all the smoke settles down on Highway 3 in the morning.”