Bear Gulch Fire fully contained after four months and 20,000 acres burned

The Bear Gulch Fire was 100% contained as of Nov. 6, according to the official fire update webpage managed by the USDA Forest Service. Since July 6, the human-caused fire has burned 20,232 acres in Olympic National Forest.

According to a Nov. 17 post on the official webpage, “the fire may still be burning or smoldering inside the control line. Containment doesn’t mean the fire is completely out,” but it shouldn’t grow any further.

“Fire ecologists, hydrologists, and engineers continue to assess risks to public safety and infrastructure in and near the fire’s footprint,” the website said.

The fire started on the west side of Lake Cushman.

Atmospheric rivers in the forecast remain a big concern for the area affected by the fire, and heavy rain could cause debris flows along Forest Service Road 24 and around Lake Cushman, the website said.

“FS-24 and recreation sites beyond milepost 10.5 remain closed including Mt. Rose Trail” and the Staircase area in the southeastern corner of the park, the website said.

According to the webpage, “multidisciplinary risk assessments will inform future reopening timelines.”

Ty Vinson

The Olympian

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Ty Vinson covers the City of Olympia and keeps tabs on Tumwater and other communities in Thurston County. He joined The Olympian in 2021. Before that, he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. In college, he worked as an intern at the Northwest Indiana Times, the Oregonian and the Arizona Republic as a Pulliam Fellow. Support my work with a digital subscription