Mother Nature helping douse Washington Fire, now 99% contained

Heavy rains over the past 48 hours have given firefighters the help they needed to contain the Washington Fire burning south of Markleeville.

As of 5 p.m. on July 4, the lightning caused fire was 99% contained after burning 17,790 acres.

Fire crews will continue to construct the remaining fire line and mop up hot spots along the perimeter. A smaller contingency of firefighters and equipment will remain on the incident with the type 3 management organization while still meeting incident objectives as outlined in the transfer of command.

Holiday travelers are reminded to use caution while traveling through the fire area over the weekend. State Highway 4 and State Highway 89 remain open but fire crews continue to work along the roadway along the fire area. The Forest Service closure is still in effect around the fire. The public is encouraged to check the closure link below before recreating as law enforcement will continue patrols in the closure area. Currently, the Bureau of Land Management has no active closures in the area