Weather could quell fires burning northeast of Darrington
Published 1:30 am Sunday, September 4, 2022
DARRINGTON — Damp weather could help quell three lightning-ignited fires burning in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest northeast of Darrington.
The Boulder Lake fire grew from 100 to 400 acres on Friday. That’s causing much of the visible smoke in the area, said Amy Linn, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson.
The Suiattle River fire, outside the Glacier Peak Wilderness near Huckleberry Mountain, grew from 5 to 15 acres Friday. There was not an updated perimeter size available for the Lake Toketie fire, which was at 90 acres early Friday.
Those fires were ignited by lightning and driven by relatively low humidity, Linn said. Weather conditions over the next several days “could mitigate that somewhat,” she said.
Scattered rain showers, more humidity and cooler temperatures are expected Sunday.
U.S. Forest Service fire crews have been making bucket drops from a large helicopter to contain the fires, according to the Forest Service. Fire crews with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources are assisting, Linn said. More fire crews have been requested “but are not yet available due to national fire activity,” according to a news release.
Trails, roads and campgrounds near the fires remain closed. That includes Suiattle River Road (Forest Road 26) at the 10.5 mile marker, Buck Creek campground, the Boulder Lake trail, the Huckleberry Mountain trail, the Buck Creek trail, the Green Mountain trail, the Downey Creek trail, the Suiattle River trail, the Sulphur Creek trail, the Sulphur Mountain trail and the Tenas Creek trail.
A Level 1 “Ready” evacuation recommendation was issued Friday for the Suiattle River valley, north of the river near the Skagit-Snohomish county line. The alert means residents should be ready to leave: “There is no immediate danger to your home, family or business, but the fire or other danger may be moving toward you.”
Contact the Darrington Ranger Station at 360-436-1155 for updated trail and road closures, or check the Forest Service’s website.
An outdoor burn ban remains in place for all of Snohomish County, including cities, towns and unincorporated areas.
