Published: · Reviewed by Ertuğrul Öz, Certified Fire Chief & Training Specialist
Latest: The Hidden Meadows Fire, which broke out Monday north of Battle Ground in Clark County, Washington, has been stopped short of any homes. By Monday night, fire officials said the most active parts of the roughly 12-acre fire were under control, and evacuation levels were downgraded — areas previously under Level 2 and Level 3 orders were reduced to Level 1, and earlier Level 1 alerts were lifted entirely. No homes were damaged. Crews remained on scene into Tuesday morning to secure the perimeter and watch for flare-ups. The cause remains under investigation.
What Happened
The fire broke out shortly after 11 a.m. Monday, August 24, in a rural, unincorporated area north of Battle Ground, burning west of State Route 503 between Hidden Meadows Drive and Mountain View Drive. Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue said 911 calls reported a large column of smoke, the crackle of flames, and falling ash near a logging road just south of Hidden Meadows Drive. Crews arriving on scene found about an acre burning through brush and young timber; within hours it had grown to an estimated 12 acres. Fire Chief John Nohr said at an afternoon briefing that crews had reports of fire moving into the trees. The cause has not been determined and remains under investigation.
Evacuations and Road Closures
The Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) issued a Level 3 "Go Now" evacuation order for anyone within half a mile of 14302 NE 346th St., warning residents that failure to leave immediately "may result in injury or death." The zone was later expanded to both sides of 127th Avenue to the west and north of NE 329th Street, putting roughly 250 residents under Level 2 or Level 3 orders. Deputies with the Clark County Sheriff's Office went door to door helping residents evacuate, and SR-503 was closed in both directions between milepost 14.1 near Gabriel Road and milepost 15.7 near 365th Street, with no detour available. Temporary evacuation assembly areas were set up at the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church on Rock Creek Road and at Charter Oak Community Church in Battle Ground, where an emergency shelter opened for displaced residents and their animals.
A resident's account: Nita Vaillancourt said she was home alone when the evacuation notice came through and saw helicopters flying overhead. She had to leave behind a cat, a snake, and chickens in the rush to get out, though she was able to bring her dog. "We're just grateful we made it out in time and have our family," she said.
How Crews Stopped It Before It Reached Homes
The response grew to nearly 100 firefighters, with engines, brush rigs, and water tenders from across Clark County joined by a strike team of brush engines from neighboring Cowlitz County, plus helicopters making water drops and fixed-wing aircraft dropping retardant. Clark County Fire District 10's Tom Aston said crews went in aggressively from the start, aided by defensible space some homeowners had already cleared around their properties — brush, wood piles, and low branches removed ahead of time gave crews room to work and stopped flames from reaching structures. "The risk is very high, but we were able to go in and be very aggressive in our initial firefight and as a result of that put a stop to it to not affect any homes," Aston said. Clark Public Utilities also asked residents outside the evacuation zone to conserve water Monday, after a surge in residential use threatened to strain the reservoirs firefighters were drawing on to protect homes.
Current Status
- Size: approximately 12 acres
- Homes damaged: none reported
- Evacuations: downgraded to Level 1 or lifted entirely as of Monday night
- Cause: under investigation
- Crews remained on scene Tuesday morning monitoring for hot spots and flare-ups
Residents with questions can reach the CRESA Community Call Center at 360-696-2264. Officials are asking the public not to call 911 for general information about the fire. This is a developing story — we'll update this article if evacuation levels or containment status change.
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