Olympic: Two Small Lightning Fires Are Out, but Crews Stay Watchful
Two lightning-caused fires were put out on August 26, 2026 in Olympic National Park, where crews are still working two other fires.
Planning a trip to Olympic National Park? Here's some reassuring news as you sort out your route. On Tuesday, August 26, 2026, firefighters put out two small fires started by lightning. Nothing alarming on the scale of the park, but a few things are worth knowing before you head out.
The first fire, named Maiden 2, had burned about 0.7 acres along a ridgeline, roughly 1 mile north of Maiden Peak. The second was even smaller, just a single tree on fire not far from Deer Park Campground. Both ignited during the previous weekend's lightning storm, a reminder of a late-summer reality in these mountains, where lightning regularly starts small fires that crews spot and handle quickly.
Here's what matters for your visit: those two fires are no longer active. Crews are still working two others, though, the Mt. Barnes fire and one in the Mount Tom Creek area. In other words, the situation is still being watched, and some trails or areas could see temporary restrictions depending on how the fires behave.
Our practical advice: before you set out on the high-country trails or over toward Deer Park, check for current closures and follow the campfire rules to the letter. During dry lightning season, one spark is all it takes. The right gear, plenty of water, and a backup plan are never a bad idea.
To place these areas within the park as a whole and build a trip that hangs together, lean on the Olympic park guide, which walks through the entrances, the landscapes, and the drive times. And if you're dreaming of extending your trip out to the coast, this park also shows up in our road trip itinerary that runs through this park, handy for stringing together rain forests, peaks, and shoreline without any nasty surprises.