Single Publication

4:00 PM, September 20, 2024

Estimated size: 1,098 acres
Start Date/Time: July 17, 2024
Area of Origin: 21 air miles east of Darrington WA
Cause: Lightning
Fuels/Topography: timber, rugged terrain
Structures Damaged: None, there are no homes threatened at this time.
Evacuations: None

This is the last public information update for the Miners Complex fire. The incident email and fire information phone will no longer be monitored after 5pm on Friday, September 20th. The incident Inciweb page will continue to be active until the fires are out.                                                  

Update: Effective 9/20/2024, the Pacific Crest Trail between Mica Lake and Suiattle Pass is now open. The Suiattle River Road closure has been lifted, and all trails are open besides the Suiattle River Trail #784 and Sulphur Mountain Trail #794, which remain closed due to fire activity. 

The Sulphur Fires remain active at high elevations, and fire debris roll-out has been seen near the Suiattle River Trail. It is anticipated that the fires will continue to burn at high elevations until the area receives a significant amount of rain. Little to no activity has been seen on the Miners, Middle Ridge, Dolly, and Plummer fires. Smoke was seen recently on the Vista fire after several weeks without activity.

The Middle Ridge fire burned over ~0.2 miles of the PCT. While hiking on the PCT, please note that the fire does not pose any active safety risks, but fire weakened trees can be a safety hazard. If you are in the area, you may see or smell smoke. Please consider the following safety tips for hiking in fire impacted areas:

• Do not camp in an area with standing dead or fire impacted trees, as they are likely to fall. 
• If there are high winds, consider adjusting your schedule to avoid spending time in recently burned areas. During high winds, fire impacted trees are much more likely to fall.
• Erosion can be common after fires, leading to poor or unstable trail conditions. Stay situationally aware when hiking on burned over trails – look for any areas of the trail that are eroding, especially at high elevations next to drop-offs. 

Please follow the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest on Facebook and the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest website Alerts & Notices page for updates on any further trail openings. 

Smoke: For more information on smoke and air quality please visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Forest Restrictions: The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie has lifted the full campfire ban and forest-wide shooting restrictions, effective 8/28/2024. All closures are lifted in the fire area besides the Suiattle River Trail #784 and Sulphur Mountain Trail #794. Additional details at: www.fs.usda.gov/mbs

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