Overview

• The detentions occurred Wednesday morning during ID checks of private contractor crews, according to firefighters who spoke to The Seattle Times.
• Crews reported being told not to record and to line up around 9:30 a.m. to present identification to federal agents.
• The reason for the detentions has not been publicly explained, and firefighters described the incident anonymously citing fear of retaliation.
• The Incident Management Team acknowledged the federal operation and referred inquiries to the Port Angeles Border Patrol station.
• The Bear Gulch fire has burned nearly 9,000 acres, was reported at 13 percent containment, and has roughly 400 personnel assigned.