Bolt Creek Fire Closes Highway 2 Again As Flames Burn Along Road

SKYKOMISH, WA — State transportation crews closed Highway 2 again Tuesday morning as flames from the Bolt Creek Fire burning near Skykomish drew near to the road and trees fell across travel lanes.

The fire has been burning since Sept. 10, quickly spreading over thousands of acres amid red flag conditions and spurring evacuations in nearby communities. In a fire briefing Tuesday, officials estimated the blaze had burned more than 11,000 acres and was less than 10 percent contained.

As flames moved back toward the highway, the fire found pockets of unburned vegetation, and falling trees and debris made it necessary to close a stretch of the highway, officials said.

The Washington State Department of Transportation shared photos of flames burning near the highway early Tuesday just west of Skykomish as crews extended the closure over four miles. Later in the morning, WSDOT posted footage of several trees being removed from the side of the highway but did not have an estimate for when the route leading to and from Stevens Pass could reopen.

A fire weather watch remained in place Tuesday but fire crews were hopeful that cloud cover, cooler temperatures and possible rain would improve things overnight and into Wednesday.

>> Readers can find the latest updates on the Bolt Creek Fire and traffic impacts via InciWeb and WSDOT.