North Cascades Highway near Diablo Lake reopens after wildfire caused closure

State Route 20 (SR 20)/the North Cascades Highway between mileposts 148 and 158 reopened Thursday afternoon after a wildfire caused a closure of the road, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reported on X.

(1/3) SR 20 has reopened between MP 148-158 as of 4PM, July 18. The Easy Fire is still burning appx. 1/2 mile from the roadway. If you are traveling over the North Cascades any time soon PLEASE:
▶️Stay on the road, obey all signs and keep driving- NO LOOKIE LOUS! pic.twitter.com/nP4vHqt4J3

— WSDOT East (@WSDOT_East) July 18, 2024

Earlier Thursday, WSDOT announced in multiple X posts that the road was completely closed and said on X no detour was available.

The WSDOT website previously stated the closure was between Granite Creek — where milepost 148 is — and east of the Rainy Pass Trail Head — milepost 158. In another X post, the agency said that during this closure travelers could use Interstate 90 (I-90) or US 2 to travel east and west across the state of Washington.

The agency instructed travelers Thursday to “stay on the road, obey all signs and keep driving,” adding that there should be “NO LOOKIE LOUS!”. In a separate X post, WSDOT advises drivers to “be alert for fire teams and maintenance crews (as) there is still an active wildfire and fire response continues in the area.”

In a third post on X, the agency suggested travelers make a “Plan B” as “conditions can change suddenly.” WSDOT added “the road may close again on very short notice.”

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced on Thursday, July 18, 2024 that State Route 20 is completely closed due to a wildfire. (Image courtesy of The Washington State Department of Transportation)

More on the wildfire that closed the North Cascades Highway

WSDOT said in one of its X posts that the fire is still burning about a 1/2 mile away from SR 20, which is why drivers should drive straight through and not stop.

Firefighters responded to a new wildfire sparked by dry lightning storms moving through the Easy Pass area of the Methow Valley in Whatcom County and immediately reported explosive fire growth, according to a post on the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC) blog updated Thursday. Crews stayed on the fire overnight but weeks of extreme temperatures, record dry conditions, and dangerous terrain with no road access hampered initial response efforts, the post also reads.

“Our goal is to stop any new growth on the Easy Fire, but this is a really rough spot,” Methow Valley District Ranger for the Forest Service Chris Furr said, according to the NWCC. “Another day of low humidity, extreme heat, and dangerous ground conditions isn’t going to help.”

At last check, the fire was at least 100 acres with no containment.

MyNorthwest Weather: A streak of temperatures in the 80s hits Western Washington

Last week, National Park Services issued a burn ban throughout North Cascades National Park, including campfires. Burn bans also are in effect at the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

SR 20 closed several times last year due to wildfires.

Editors’ note: This story previously contained a different map of the state of Washington. The image in the story was captured from the WSDOT website.

Contributing: Steve Coogan

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.