Forest Fire Near Port Angeles
A careless picnic party triggers a massive blaze that destroys timber between Port Angeles and Port Crescent.
The story, cleaned up
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Enormous quantities of valuable timber have been destroyed by fire within the past few days between Port Angeles and Port Crescent. A party of picnickers, who kindled fire at the foot of a gigantic cedar some miles west of Port Angeles, are blamed for the damage. The spectacle afforded by the flaming forests when the fire was at its height was sublime.
“The spectacle afforded by the flaming forests when the fire was at its height was sublime.”
Wildfire remains a perennial threat to Washington's forests and urban-wildland interface. This report highlights how the state's natural beauty and economic resources were just as vulnerable to human error in the 19th century as they are today.
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