Pasayten's Methow Valley Bulletin Board

WSDOT

An update on the closure of the SR 20 North Cascades Highway. Due to the Sourdough Fire and now a second wildfire called the Blue Lake Fire near Washington Pass, SR 20 North Cascades Highway is now closed between Newhalem (milepost 120) and the Silver Star Campground (milepost 171, where it normally closes for the winter on the east side). These are two active wildfires burning along the highway. There is no recreation allowed anywhere between the two closure points. At this time there is no ETA for reopening. Please do not disregard closures, they are in place for your safety and the safety of crews.

mister_coffee wrote: ↑Sun Aug 13, 2023 7:39 am Yeah, and much more stuff falls down during a wildfire or mass wasting event. And when stuff falls down "all the time" it isn't typically ON FIRE.

Remember last year when Heavy rain brought down a large mud slide just East of Silverstar creek in an old burn area that closed Highway 20.

Sure if a heli is dumping water on a fire above you, not a good idea to be under it as an enormous amount of water focused on a spot area on a steep slope could be disastrous for the cars below.

If that were to happen, most likely people injured in by debris would sue any private company involved with fire fighting or the WSDOT for damages. That's why the Hwy is closed.

Yesterday from Easy Pass, no smoke was visible and the skis were a brilliant blue.

Today I observed a mushroom cloud to the West.

Risk is out there, and is variable depending on weather conditions.

Sourdough Fire
News - 08/13/2023
Resources: 419 Total Personnel | 9 Hand Crews | 20 Engines | 5 Water Tenders | 7 Helicopters

(Newhalem, Wash.) -- The Sourdough Fire started with a lightning strike on July 29 near Diablo in the steep and rugged terrain of Ross Lake National Recreation Area, 7 miles northeast of Newhalem. The Sourdough Fire is estimated at 1,938 acres and is 5% contained. State Route 20 remains closed between milepost 120 (Newhalem) and milepost 146 (just east of the East Creek Trailhead). Large rocks and debris fell on portions of the closed road.

Yesterday: Firefighters conducted successful burn out operations throughout the day and night on the southwest flank of the fire in an effort to control the rate at which the fire consumes the fuels between the edge of the fire and the 2015 Goodell Fire burn scar. Fire crews and Seattle City Light field personnel worked to mitigate the hazard trees along the roads. Mop up operations continued along Diablo Dam Road from State Route 20 into the community of Diablo. Additionally, firefighters improved hose lays between Ross Dam and North Cascades Environmental Learning Center. Helicopters also dropped water to keep the fire from spreading beyond the Sourdough Creek drainage.

Today: Hot, dry, and unstable conditions will result in critical fire weather through Tuesday with a Red Flag Warning in effect at 11:00 a.m. today. Firefighters will monitor the results of yesterday’s burn out operations along the southwest flank of the fire above State Route 20. Crews are working to mop up a small "slop over" that crossed the road. Slop over is a significant concern as it can create a new ignition point, making the fire more difficult to control and potentially endangering additional areas. A handheld infrared camera will be used to locate any heat sources around the structures in Diablo. Working with Seattle City Light, firefighters will improve powerline corridor easements for use as fire breaks.

Weather: Hot, dry, and unstable conditions will bring increased fire activity to the area for the next few days. Temperatures will reach the mid-90s and relative humidity will be in the lower teens which is extremely hot and dry for this area.

Smoke: Smoke from the Sourdough Fire may affect communities around the region. Information about current conditions and a smoke forecast is located at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com.

Closures and Evacuations: State Route 20 is closed from Newhalem to East Creek Trailhead. Trail, area and camp closures are in effect; for more information, go to: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/fire- closures.htm

Yeah, and much more stuff falls down during a wildfire or mass wasting event. And when stuff falls down "all the time" it isn't typically ON FIRE.

mister_coffee wrote: ↑Sun Aug 06, 2023 3:08 pm Yes, and waiting in a long line of vehicles for a pilot car is such a good idea with an active wildfire in the area. If you are eastbound you are blocked in by heavy and flammable timber on either side of the highway. If you are westbound you are in the Skagit gorge where burning material from far about your vehicle could easily fall onto the road and possibly block it. That would be very exciting.

If you look at the perimeter maps the fire perimeter nearly touches Gorge Lake just S of Diablo, and it isn't that far from there to highway 20.

Also, winds could easily carry embers across Gorge and Diablo lakes and ignite the unburnt heavy timber there.

Keep in mind that avalanches and boulders hit highways all the time. One almost hit Rays home. Homes slide off of hills and high bank water front, and then remember that tragic landslide that buried alot of homes and people here in Wa. Tornados, fire, floods and hurricanes destroy whole towns. Then there is the risk of smoke and heat from any fire nearby. Lots of risk out there.

I think that Rollover accident sealed the deal in favor of closure. At least the WSDOT tried to make it work. They know how important that hwy is to businesses here during tourist season.

I went to FB and plugged in Sourdouh Fire in the search bar. Just now the DOT posted an alert saying they are hearing that people are headed up towards Diablo. They are telling people it is closed.
Oh heck, here is the FB post from yesterday There was a map I didn't copy.
SOURDOUGH... DIABLO FIRE...
THE CREWS DID THEIR FIRING OP TODAY ALONG THE HWY AS YOU CAN SEE TO STOP THE FIRE FROM SLOPPING OVER AS IT TRIES TO COME DOWN.
THE FIRE HAS NOT BEEN AT THE LAKE ANYMORE AS IT HAD STARTED BURNING TOWARDS THE STETATTLE CREEK AREA AND SPREADING DOWN TOWARDS THE HWY.
THIS IS WHY THEY CLOSED THE HWY AS THE CREWS HAD TO DO HOSE LAYS ON THE ROAD AND FIRE OFF THE HWY AS IT IS STEEP IN THOSE AREAS.
AND HUGE BOULDERS CAME DOWN TODAY ROLLING ACROSS THE HWY AND DOWN INTO THE GORGE ON THE OTHER SIDE. SOME AS LARGE AS A COUCH...
THAT AND BECAUSE OF THE DUMB ASSES DRIVING THE ROAD LIKE THE ONE THAT ROLLED HIS CAR AND STARTED A FIRE YESTERDAY SO THAT THE CREWS AROUND THE CORNER HAD TO COME RUNNING TO SAVE HIS STUPID arse AND CATCH THE FIRE BEFORE THEY HAD A DIFFERENT CATASTROPHE!
SO BACKED UP TRAFFIC SAT IN THE FIRE ZONE WHILE THEY GOT THE AMBULANCE, LE AND THE TOW TRUCK UP FROM SEDRO OR CONCRETE.
THAT. IS. WHY. THE . HWY. IS. CLOSED!!!

They say debris is hitting the Hwy, hence the closure.

Capture map shows dam lake water between the fire and Hwy 20 except above west end.

What Facebook page can that be found on?

This also came in from WSDOT

Around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, WSDOT in partnership with Sourdough Fire Incident Northwest Managment Team 10 closed SR 20/North Cascades Highway for the second time due to fire activity and fire mitigation strategies. The road remains closed from milepost 120 in Newhalem to milepost 146, just east of Granite Creek, approximately 55 miles west of Winthrop.

This is an active fire area and the road is subject to closures with little notice based on fire behavior or fire mitigation needs. People are encouraged to plan for unexpected closures and travel delays.

The National Park Service has closed camping, trailheads, overlooks, pullouts and other recreation east of Newhalem due to the Sourdough Fire. Additional details about trail, area and camp closures are available on the North Cascades National Park Service Complex website.

During the closure, cross-state travel is possible using I-90 or US 2. Please keep in mind that WSDOT, Link Transit and Chelan County Public Works have active construction along US 2 in Leavenworth, Tumwater Canyon and US 2 remains closed west of Coulee City (MP 163-170) for emergency repairs. I-90 typically sees increased volumes during peak summer travel, so expect delays and plan ahead, whatever route you choose to take.

The WSDOT real-time travel map and the WSDOT app are the two best sources for information happening in real-time on state highways.

We know that road closures are frustrating, and that the opening and closing of a road is disruptive to your travels but safety of the traveling public and of the crews fighting these fires is the top priority. Please do not try to go around closure points; instead, give yourself extra time, expect the unexpected and have a backup plan.

Information about the Sourdough Fire is available: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-infor ... dough-fire.

I watched the report yesterday and they said they had brushed out the power lines and were laying down irrigation for them.
Also FB said there was a roll over accident of a citizens, when they were letting traffic through and that really messed things up. Ambulance had to come, towing company and fire fighters had to run over to it and put any fire out.
I guess i can post the report, but maybe there is a new one today. I can post the FB post, but the person posting was quite upset.

Rideback wrote: ↑Sat Aug 12, 2023 7:42 am Pass is closed. With approaching high temps through next week it's hard to imagine that we'll see the pass re opened until the heatwave has left, and that's assuming the fire doesn't explode. I don't see any reporting that Diablo Dam is specifically endangered, is there a link to that?

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-publi ... st-11-2023

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washing ... a74ba.html

Probably not the dam or even the powerhouse but the power lines are pretty vulnerable and not easily to rapidly replace.

Pass is closed. With approaching high temps through next week it's hard to imagine that we'll see the pass re opened until the heatwave has left, and that's assuming the fire doesn't explode. I don't see any reporting that Diablo Dam is specifically endangered, is there a link to that?

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident-publi ... st-11-2023

https://www.thecentersquare.com/washing ... a74ba.html

The latest this morning after my post. May have changed again.

"Hwy 20 was closed again last night. No further update as of this post. It appears the fire is endangering Diablo Dam which provides 30-40% of Seattle’s electricity.

“All fires are unpredictable, and we cannot anticipate the path it will take in the future,” Project Delivery and Generation Officer Andrew Strong told KIRO 7, “Rest assured, City Light and the Northwest Team 10 fire crews are doing their best to protect and preserve critical infrastructure and equipment from damage.”

According to FB post, Pass closed again last night. No estimated time of reopening.

From WSDOT


Trails, camping and recreation closed as firefighters fight Sourdough Fire

NEWHALEM – The Washington State Department of Transportation in partnership with Sourdough Fire Incident Northwest Management Team 10 and National Park Service reopened State Route 20/North Cascades Highway from milepost 120 in Newhalem to milepost 156 just west of Rainy Pass located 45 miles west of Winthrop, at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, August 9.

Travelers along SR 20 are advised they may encounter firefighting personnel and apparatus working along the highway. Traffic control is in place for the safety of the traveling public and should be observed. Stopping along this stretch of highway is not permitted. This remains an active fire area and the road is subject to close again with little notice based on fire behavior or firefighting mitigation strategies. People are encouraged to plan ahead for unexpected closures and travel delays

Sourdough Fire
News - 08/08/2023
Resources: 349 Total Personnel | 6 Hand Crews | 22 Engines | 5 Water Tenders | 4 Helicopters

(Newhalem, Wash.) -- The Sourdough Fire started with a lightning strike on July 29 near Diablo in the steep and rugged terrain of Ross Lake National Recreation Area, 7 miles northeast of Newhalem. An infrared flight overnight has provided new mapping data. An estimated 1,711 acres have burned on the Sourdough Fire. Due to hazards presented by the fire, State Route 20 (North Cascades Highway) has been closed until further notice between Mile Marker 120 and Mile Marker 156, Newhalem to Rainy Pass. The safety of firefighters and the public are the top priority on the Sourdough Fire.

Yesterday: Weather conditions were favorable on Monday with cooler temperatures and higher humidity which moderated fire behavior. Efforts were on-going to strengthen State Route 20 and the powerline easement as potential containment features, and conducted fuels removal and chipping operations. Crews continued improving powerline easements for use as access or fire breaks. Portable tanks were placed along the highway providing a water source for possible suppression efforts. Firefighters also completed chipping of vegetation removed during control line construction and structure preparation in and around Diablo. This area and the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center are fully plumbed with hose lines. At Ross Lake Resort, some floating cabins were moved away from the shore where possible and crews prepared other structures in the area. The Sourdough Lookout has been defensively protected with retardant and fire-resistant structure wrap. Helicopters were used to check fire spread along Stetattle Creek to the west and Sourdough Creek to the east. Crews working the night shift monitored structures and facilities near the fire’s edge, making sure these important values to the community were protected.

Today: Firefighters are continuing to prepare structures and improve containment features. Moving east of the fire’s edge, crews are focusing efforts on the Big Beaver Suspension Bridge and the Green Point, Cougar, and Big Beaver campgrounds on the west side of Ross Lake. A remote aerial system (drone) and operator arrived this morning to assist fire managers with locating hot spots on the Fire. Aviation resources are available to assist firefighters as needed.

Weather: Continued cooler weather is forecast for today and there is a chance of rain tonight as a weak cold front moves into the region. Precipitation is not expected to total more than a quarter of an inch before warmer and drier conditions return.

Smoke: Smoke from the Sourdough Fire may affect communities around the region. Find information about current conditions and a smoke forecast is located at: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com.

Closures and Evacuations: Evacuations are in effect for the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center and the community of Diablo. State Route 20 is closed from Newhalem to Rainy Pass. Trail, area and camp closures are in effect; for more information, go to: https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/ ... osures.htm

Yes, and waiting in a long line of vehicles for a pilot car is such a good idea with an active wildfire in the area. If you are eastbound you are blocked in by heavy and flammable timber on either side of the highway. If you are westbound you are in the Skagit gorge where burning material from far about your vehicle could easily fall onto the road and possibly block it. That would be very exciting.

If you look at the perimeter maps the fire perimeter nearly touches Gorge Lake just S of Diablo, and it isn't that far from there to highway 20.

Also, winds could easily carry embers across Gorge and Diablo lakes and ignite the unburnt heavy timber there.

Any cause listed for the fire?

Recent Photo shows fire well away from the hwy, no fire crews insight on the hwy.

Those seeking to escape the Smoke and heat by heading west from Okanagon Valley, Methow Valley now have to divert South into higher traffic densities.

I wish the WSDOT would release public statements detailing exactly why the Hwy closed without a pilot car option to guide Vehicles slowly through work areas like they do during road construction.

Which option carries more risk to the public? Driving longer hours in higher density traffic?

Or

Guided through work areas with a pilot car with a warning sign on the Winthrop WSDOT board stating that you may be turned back if the situation changes ?

"Rainy Day Pass", LOL...

Looks like the fire is on the S slope of Sourdough in the Stetattle Creek Drainage. That's unfortunate because that is also where the trail is and the trail isn't likely to be in good shape after this fire.

Chances are that Diablo and the old resort area (now the North Cascades Environmental Learning Center) are evacuated.