Bear Gulch Fire 10% contained, smoke spreads to Puget Sound

Smoke from a fire burning in the Olympic National Park made its way down to the Puget Sound on Monday, causing a hazy sky in certain areas.

The Bear Gulch Fire is currently burning north of Lake Cushman. The fire is 10% contained and has burned more than 1000 acres as of this reporting.

Bear Gulch Fire smoke drifts over to Puget Sound

The fire initially began on July 6, and no information has been provided on the cause of the fire. Investigations remain in progress.

Structures in the area have been wrapped by firefighters to prevent further damage caused by the flames.

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, Jacob DeFlitch, explained that the smoke and haze increased as the fire activity peaked Monday afternoon.

“It’s probably going to be another day or two before it starts clearing out even further, so the haze will likely be around for a few days here,” DeFlitch told The Seattle Times.

The majority of the fire growth is due to burning vegetation on steep downhill slopes, then burning upwards in large quantities, according to Watch Duty.

NF Road 2400 remains closed at mile marker 10.5. The closure includes day-use access, trailheads, and other sites surrounding the closure point.

The hazy sky visibility is expected to continue throughout Tuesday, and the smoke will move across Western Washington.

“We’ll be concerned if a new fire starts over the next day or two,” DeFlitch told The Seattle Times. “Practicing good habits and so forth is going to be important, because we see this dry and warm pattern before we start to cool down next weekend.”

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