Photos: Andrew Goff.

Early this morning, reports started coming in about a fire burning somewhere in the dunes north of Manila. A smoke column was seen rising into the air somewhere in the area of Ma-le’l, just at the bend of Highway 255 as it leaves the Arcata Bottom.

The Arcata Fire District responded, and they’re still responding. They’ve left their vehicles in the Ma-le’l Dunes parking lot and are hiking northward, up the spit of land on the ocean side of the Mad River Slough and toward, and possibly into, the Lanphere Dunes. They haven’t reached the fire yet. 

Arcata Fire District Battalion Chief Sean Campbell tells the Outpost, which is hiking in with firefighters, that the fire they’re targeting appears to be about a tenth of an acre in size with a slow rate of spread, under heavy brush in an area that is virtually inaccessible. Engines from numerous local agencies are attempting to get to the fire, and they may have to end up calling in air support.

“This is tying up a lot of agencies,” he said. “It’s just going to be a big old party.”

We’ll update this post if the fire is ever reached.

The fire is somewhere in this neighborhood, roughly.