‘We are holding our own’: Sourdough Fire grows significantly as evacuations ordered
A wildfire threatening a Whatcom County mountain village and power-generating facility for Seattle City Light grew substantially overnight Thursday, according to federal officials.
More than 160 firefighters are assisting with the Sourdough Fire, which is burning in the understory of dense timber and grew to 534 acres Thursday night from 38 acres earlier in the day.
No injuries were reported.
Evacuations of a nearby resort and an education center were ordered, but those facilities were not immediately threatened by the fire on Sourdough Mountain, a North Cascades National Park official said.
Slow-moving flames are approaching the town of Diablo and Diablo Dam, where Seattle City Light generates a third or more of its electricity, a spokeswoman with the National Interagency Fire Center told The Bellingham Herald.
“There’s been no structures affected, but the fire has burned down to Diablo Dam Road. That was a big increase overnight,” Margie Ferrucci said in an interview.
“Structure protection, that is a concern. But we are holding our own,” Ferrucci said.
Unless fire crews are able to stop the fire’s spread this weekend, it could burn through the summer, the National Interagency Fire Center said online.
“Significant growth potential throughout the remainder of the summer is possible,” the online fire report said.
Ferrucci repeated her plea against onlookers driving to the fire scene or flying drones in the area, which is visible from the North Cascades Highway east of Newhalem.
“When drones fly, we can’t, Ferrucci said, adding that authorities caught two people Thursday who were launching drones.
Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft making water drops are a key part of firefighting efforts on the 6,113-foot mountains steep slopes.
Firefighters are digging fire breaks, laying hose lines and protecting buildings at the base of the mountain.
But crews were withdrawn from the mountainside because of falling rocks and burning debris such as sticks and logs that are tumbling downhill.
Evacuations were ordered at Ross Lake Resort and at the North Cascades Institute’s Environmental Learning Center, but that was to keep roads clear for firefighters, said Katy Hooper, spokeswoman for the North Cascades National Park.
Park officials closed several areas of the park, including trails and camps to ensure visitor safety and firefighter access.
“The closures listed are not immediately threatened by the fire,” Hooper said in a statement Friday.
This story was originally published August 4, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
