Littlerock area residents evacuated as Mima Road fire spreads to 50 acres
An exploded transformer sparked a wildfire that had spread to 50 acres of land near Littlerock as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.
At 3:25 p.m., a Level 3 evacuation warning — essentially an order to leave the area — was issued for residents who live near the fire’s epicenter on Mima Road between Bordeaux Road and Mima Gate Road. That area, near the Mima Mounds Preserve, includes a horse farm, Bordeaux Ranch.
Two homes and two more outhouses have been engulfed, according to West Thurston Fire Department spokesperson Lanette Dyer.
At least 100 more houses within a one-mile radius of the fire are threatened. People who live in that area are being told to prepare to evacuate.
As the sunny Tuesday afternoon bled into evening, the blaze continued to spread. Fire units from all over Thurston County drove towards the scene, as well as numerous “fixed wing” aircraft.
Helicopters from the state Department of Natural Resources flew over the scene dropping water.
Around 3:30 p.m., a line of cars and many horse trailers created a traffic jam as vehicles drove back towards the scene of the fire on 128th Avenue. A Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy blocked off the road at 128th and River Street, but let some horse trailers through on a case-by-case basis.
Greg Matzen is a retired National Weather Service meteorologist who lives on Bordeaux Road, just across the street from Mima Mounds Nature Preserve. Matzen was out in his backyard around 2 p.m. when he heard an explosion.
“It sounded like a bomb, louder than a gunshot,” Matzen said.
Matzen saw smoke rising close by. “It took a little bit of time, not long before it started flaring, flaming up and burning.”
Sheriff’s deputies canvassed the area telling residents to evacuate.
More information and resources
Thurston County Public Works has shut down Mima Road Southwest between 128th Avenue Southwest and Hunter Road due to the wildfire. For up-to-date information on road closures, go to https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/publicworks/travelImpacts.html.
A reunification site had been set up at Littlerock Elementary School, 12710 Littlerock Road SW. Shelter for animals and livestock is being made available at Thurston County Fairgrounds.
Residents can call Thurston County Emergency Management at 360-867-2800 more information. Those displaced and in need of shelter should call the American Red Cross at 571-595-7723.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 7:19 PM.
.jpg)