Staff reporter for the Seattle Times Highway 2 above Stevens Pass is closed Saturday from Galena Road to Beckler Road due to a growing wildfire in the area. The Bolt Creek fire, as it has been named, was first reported early Saturday at 20 acres, but has quickly grown to more than 1,000 acres, according to the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Spokesman Ryan Rodruck said it is burning through timber in mountainous terrain.
A Level 3 evacuation order has been issued for the Beckler River Campground, just north of Skykomish, meaning anyone in the area should leave now, Washington State Patrol Trooper Anthony Rees said Saturday morning. The town of Grotto, west of Skykomish, is under a level 2 evacuation, meaning people should be packed and ready and leave. The city of Index, further west, is under a Level 1 evacuation. Residents should consider planning and packing to leave, just in case. The Department of Natural Resources has sent helicopters to the area equipped to drop water on the fires. The fire is on the border of state and federal Forest Service lands, and the response will be coordinated between the agencies. Winds are expected to push smoke from the fire west toward Seattle, possibly degrading air quality to unhealthy levels for all groups. Ash covers areas as far south as Mill Creek and will soon fall in Seattle. Fog is likely to remain in western Washington through Sunday. The Bolt Creek fire adds to a difficult week for wildfires in Western Washington. The Goat Rocks Fire, near Packwood, Lewis County, is now estimated at 1,200 acres. As a result, Highway 12 from Skate Creek to White Pass is closed. Highway 123 is also closed, from Highway 12 to Highway 410. The Timberline, Goat Rocks and High Valley neighborhoods east of Packwood are under a Level 3 evacuation, while the rest of Packwood is under a Level 2 evacuation. The Kalama fire, southwest of Mount St. Helens, has prompted Level 3 evacuations from the border of Cowlitz and Lewis counties and the border of Skamania and Cowlitz counties. Residents can find more information on the US Forest Service website.