Forks in Clallam County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Forks Fire
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
1. Forks Fire Marker
Started: 3:00 AM. Sept. 20, 1951
Origin: X,
Traveled 18 miles in 6 hours
Burned 30,275 acres
Destroyed 620,000,000 BD. FT.
$100,000,000 lost
Be Careful with Fire
Erected by State of Washington Division of Forestry.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Horticulture & Forestry. A significant historical date for this entry is September 20, 1951.
Location. 47° 57.267′ N, 124° 23.116′ W. Marker is in Forks, Washington, in Clallam County. It is at the intersection of North Forks Avenue (U.S. 101) and Tillicum Lane, on the right when traveling north on North Forks Avenue. The marker is located near the Tillicum Park entrance, beside the Shay Locomotive exhibit. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Forks WA 98331, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other
this page online
Also see . . .
1. The Great Forks Fire of 1951 (Olympic Peninsula Community Museum).
Excerpt: A forest fire larger than any in memory on the Olympic Peninsula struck the Calawah River valley and the community of Forks, Washington on September 20, 1951. The fire burned nearly 38,000 acres overnight and brought the small community of Forks together in an immediate desperate effort to save the town. The fire had a long-term impact on the community, changing the logging industry in the area for many years to come.(Submitted on December 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
The fire had 620 million board feet of timber in its path. By a crash program of logging, five-sixths of this timber was salvaged with timber companies bringing in logging crews from other areas because it was imperative the timber be processed before pests attached themselves to the charred trees. Soon a million feet a day was being logged and 160 logging trucks were averaging three trips each a day into Port Angeles.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 20152. Forks Fire Marker
The fire covered an area of approximately 38,000 acres, a combination of privately owned, state land, and national forest land. In Forks, several homes, businesses, and shops were destroyed. Some logging equipment and machinery was also lost to the fire, and logging railroad tracks were destroyed. In spite of the overall devastation of the area and the property damage, there was no loss of life.
2. 1,100 Flee From Forest Fire (British Pathι newsreel video).
A huge forest fire in Washington State, USA burns through the town of Fork.(Submitted on December 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on December 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 59 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 22, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
