US 2 reopens after multiple closures over past month due to Bolt Creek Fire

Update 6:07 p.m.:

A section of US 2 has reopened after it closed again on Wednesday due to the Bolt Creek Fire near Skykomish. The stretch of highway has been closed for nearly a month since the fire started.

OPEN: Crews have finished their work on US 2 and the roadway is now open. As a reminder there is a reduced speed limit and this is an active fire so additional closures are possible. Thanks for your patience. https://t.co/VBXhFEHCqz

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 6, 2022

=======================================================================

US Highway 2 will be partially closed again Wednesday as crews work to clear more hazardous trees and work to control the Bolt Creek Fire in Skykomish.

About six miles of road are expected to be closed between Grotto to the ranger station at 10:00 a.m. and won’t reopen until 6:00 p.m. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recommends that drivers find alternate routes, as there are no detours.

US 2 reopens again as Bolt Creek Fire continues to burn

Good morning and Happy Wednesday!

Nothing major to report traffic-impact wise thus far!

Don’t forget that US 2 will close at 10a today between Grotto & the Ranger Station for hazardous tree removal & fire mitigation near the road. The road will reopen at 6p. There is no detour. pic.twitter.com/M3BpAq1jgI

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) October 5, 2022

Crews have been working to identify and remove hazards from near the road, including partially burned trees and rocks, which officials are worried that if they are not cleared, they are in danger of falling onto the highway. Hundreds of trees have been removed in the past month.

US 2 has been closed and reopened several times over the past month, with all the shutdowns linked to hazards being cleared or firefighters working to combat the Bolt Creek Fire.

Evacuation guidance for the fire is no longer in place for residents in both Snohomish and King counties, but officials said that residents in the area should still remain vigilant. Conditions could change quickly, and evacuations may again become necessary.

“Containment lines on the south, east and west edges of the fire — namely, along US 2 and near structures — continue to hold well as the consumption strategy is allowed to continue. While the fire will continue to produce smoke as it burns to the north into Wild Sky Wilderness, firefighters remain engaged along containment lines to ensure that the fire stays in its footprint on its southern edge, as well as the southwest and southeast corners,” according to Wednesday’s update from the incident report.

The fire is estimated to have burned 12,625 acres and is 36% contained.

Wildfire smoke has cleared from most of the Puget Sound region, with much of the area experiencing “good air quality” or “moderate air quality,” though smoke continues to plague the area around Wenatchee National Forest with “unhealthy air quality,” according to the Washington Smoke Blog.

Officials announced earlier this week that the fire was human-caused. A team of investigators are working to determine what first sparked the fire on Sept. 10.