Bolt Creek, White River Fires Not Out Yet

The weather has cooled off, the smoke is gone, and many people have forgotten about the White River and Bolt Creek Fires in the Cascades west of the Wenatchee Valley.

Even though activity on the blazes has greatly diminished, both are still burning and continue causing several concerns.

Ryan Rodruck with the Department of Natural Resources says burn scars left by the Bolt Creek Fire have already prompted a hazard for travelers on U.S. Highway 2 and who live near the town of Skykomish.

“There has already been a Flash Flood Warning over that area and there are still some geotechnical concerns, but we do have experts from the Washington Geological Survey on site who are starting to monitor that activity.”

The Bolt Creek Fire was last listed at 14,766 acres and 51 percent contained.

To the east near Lake Wenatchee, the White River Fire is still posing a threat to several private property lines in very rural areas of the forest.

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest spokesperson, Robin DeMario, says the fire’s activity has become more fragmented.

“It’s in a mosaic pattern. There’s not a big fire front. It’ll burn into some dry material and flare up a little from time to time. But without the winds and the heat it’s behavior and activity is going to remain minimal.”

The White River Fire was last listed at 14,442 acres and ten percent containment.

Both Rodruck and DeMario say fall and winter weather patterns will eventually determine when each fire will finally wick out.