People living near Mineral in Lewis County told to be ready to evacuate if Alder Lake Fire worsens

MINERAL, Wash. -- People living in the Pleasant Valley Road area of Mineral were told Wednesday to be ready to evacuate in case the Alder Lake Fire worsens.

The Alder Lake Fire burning west of Elbe has grown to 173 acres as it continues moving east.

Steep rugged terrain is making the firefight difficult, and Forest Service officials say the fire could spread to state DNR land.

Lewis County said, The Alder Lake Fire has reached a level 1 evacuation trigger.  This means that danger exists and you should begin making arrangements to evacuate. Evacuations at this time are voluntary. If the fire advances to level 2 you will receive further evacuation notification. Shelter will be setup in the Morton area at that time."

About 105 people are working this wildfire sparked by lightning on August 11.

According to the Forest Service, there were no evacuation orders as of Monday, August 24.

Officials said Forest Roads 74 and 7409 are now closed to the public for the safety of the firefighters.

A public meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 25 at the Mineral School Gymnasium -- located at 114 Mineral Ro