Rain, Cooler Temps Could End Bolt Creek Fire

It may be less than two weeks from November, but the Bolt Creek Fire is still burning near the town of Skykomish on the west side of Stevens Pass.

Activity on the blaze has been less intense in recent days and public information officer, Dean Hazen, says it may come to an abrupt halt altogether this weekend with the arrival of cooler temperatures and rain.

“It looks like we’re going to get a pretty good rain event starting Friday and through the weekend, which is going to literally put a damper on the fire. We’re seeing this as being an event that is definitely going to slow down, if not end the fire as an event.”

Until the weather changes, hand crews will continue working the fire’s perimeter and aerial suppression will be utilized to minimize hot spots.

Hazen says even if this weekend’s shift in temperature and precipitation does put the fire out, several issues it has created will persist – including the hazards presented by falling trees.

“What ends up happening is a lot of the trees, even though they might look like they’re alive, their root system has been burned by the fire. That weakens their ability to stand and it doesn’t take much for them to fall over. That’s going to be an ongoing issue, even a long-term issue potentially.”

The fire was first reported on September 10 and is currently listed at 14,618 acres and 41-percent contained.

Investigators say the blaze was caused by humans but have yet to determine exactly how it sparked.