Mount Rose on Fire

A fire has been burning on Mount rose since July 25th. Affected is the North Fork of the Skokomish trail that I hiked so many times last year along with the entire Staircase area.

I've been following the newsfeeds since late July and the fire just keeps growing. It is getting closer and closer to the Mount Rose Trail and is headed towards the National Park.

It has already been announced that the Staircase area will be closed for months after the fire is put out due to debris falling on the road.

The cause of the fire is human activity but no details have been released. It seems to have been started near a rock overlooking Lake Cushman that people jump off of in the summer.

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/363/:

Summary

Thursday 08/10/06

The 400-acre Bear Gulch #2 fire, 15 miles northwest of Hoodsport, continues to burn on the southern slopes of Mt. Rose. Due to falling debris, Forest Road 24 remains closed to all traffic, closing access to the Staircase area of Olympic National Park.

The fire is smoldering and creeping through the dry undergrowth; flame height is less than one foot, gaining only a few acres each day. The steep, rocky surface of Mt. Rose prevents installation of fire line. Two helicopters douse hot spots along the perimeter with water from Lake Cushman. Recent cool temperatures and light morning showers help slow the fire.

The area beneath the fire is extremely hazardous. A high potential for future deposition remains. An assessment team is in the area to evaluate hazards on the slopes above FS Road 24. The area is closed to all types of traffic including foot, stock, mechanical and motorized (including boats) and people should not attempt to enter the area. A temporary gate has been installed on FS Road 24 where the pavement ends and is staffed by security personnel.

In addition to the closed access to the Staircase facilities, the North Fork Skokomish River, Wagon Wheel and Staircase Rapids Trails are also closed in the park. The Mt. Rose and Dry Creek Trails are closed in the adjacent National Forest. While these closures are necessary for a limited area and include a portion of the lake due to helicopter operations, most of the Lake Cushman area is available for recreation as usual. Mt. Ellinor and Mt. Washington areas continue to be open to recreational opportunities.

Campfire and smoking restrictions are currently in effect. Campfires on the Olympic National Forest are only allowed in designated campgrounds in the fireplaces provided. No fires are allowed in the backcountry, wilderness areas or in any dispersed sites. The Forest also has restricted smoking to developed recreation sites as listed above, within vehicles or on cleared areas of forest development roads only. In Olympic National Park, campfires are permitted only in established fire grates in developed campgrounds. Smoking is only permitted within vehicles and areas clear of vegetation. Backpacking stoves are allowed in wilderness areas. Other county and local restrictions also apply.

A Type III local interagency management team from the Olympic NF, Olympic NP and WA DNR (IC VanBuskirk) has taken over the management of the fire. The nearby Skokomish Indian Tribe is providing boat patrol of Lake Cushman to facilitate helicopter operations.