Spokesperson says Bolt Creek Fire “Burning Itself Out”

Warmer and drier weather has intensified activity on the Bolt Creek Fire about 15 miles west of Stevens Pass to start the week.

The blaze has now torched over 11,000 acres since igniting on September 10, and is currently listed as just seven percent contained.

Public Information Officer, Lauren Woras, says despite the seemingly bleak statistics and increased behavior, fire managers consider the blaze to be well under control.

“The fire is still burning well within our control lines,” explains Woras. “It’s making its way downhill very slowly and is getting hung up in areas where it can’t move quickly. It’s essentially burning itself out.”

A Level 2 evacuation notice is currently in place for the entire town of Skykomish. However, Woras says that issuance has more to do with the fire’s proximity to the community, and none of its structures or roughly 150 residents are expected to be in the path of the blaze.

Between 13 and 19 miles of U.S. Highway 2 were closed for two weeks due to hazardous conditions created by the fire, and Woras says even though the road has been reopened, drivers still need to stay alert and use caution.

“The fire has burned up to the highway in multiple locations and you can see it while you’re driving. We still have a lot of trees and rocks that are coming down because the ground is unstable. So we need people to slow down and be cautious in those burned areas.”

Woras adds that if the fire continues to create a hazard to the highway, it could possibly be forced to close again.

Smoke from the fire is expected to continue having mostly localized impacts with some drift to the south and east throughout the week.

Forecasters are calling for rain showers over the fire on Wednesday which are expected to further slow its already-diminishing spread.