White Pass back open after forest fire closes the highway for a week

Highway 12 over White Pass reopened to traffic in both directions on Monday afternoon.

The highway west of Yakima and Naches was closed for a week by a forest fire burning close to the roadway.

The Washington state Department of Transportation said the highway was back open at 4:30 p.m.

The Cold Creek fire was spotted on Monday, Sept. 14, night east of the White Pass Summit in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The cause has not been determined.

Firefighters are working to clear burned trees so they don’t fall on the highway, said WSDOT officials.

The fire was about 35 percent contained on Monday.

“The biggest problem is that the northwest corner of the fire is within wilderness area where there’s no easy way to really get in there and fight fire,” public information officer Ben Shearer told the Yakima Herald-Republic.

Specialized crews have begun work there, and helicopters were able to help douse otherwise inaccessible areas in the fire’s interior on Sunday, Shearer told the Yakima newspaper.

The fire is not threatening any structures, though some homes and cabins near Rimrock and Clear lakes were told to be ready to evacuate.

This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 5:27 PM.