Bear Gulch fire in Olympic National Forest expands, prompting Level 3 evacuation
A Level 3 “GO” evacuation was ordered for areas near Lake Cushman in Olympic National Forest Thursday as the Bear Gulch fire grew to more than 3,000 acres and was only 3% contained.
According to Watch Duty, a nonprofit organization that helps track wildfire information and alert the public, the fire had grown to 3,921.9 acres by Friday, Aug. 1. The fire was first reported on July 6 and was human caused, but an exact origin has yet to be determined.
According to a July 31 post on the official fire information Facebook page, the fire originated on the north side of Lake Cushman near Mount Rose. No structures have been damaged so far.
Lake Cushman has been closed for public use and so that lake water can be accessed by helicopters fighting the fire. Campgrounds and trails within the National Forest that are near the fire, including the Staircase area, have been closed since early July.
The Level 3 evacuation order is for the north side of the lake. The area south of Dry Creek currently has a Level 1 “READY” evacuation notice.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office reports that Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources Thursday night to try to contain the fire that is burning in brush, grass, and timber, and is threatening homes and hydroelectric infrastructure.
According to the July 31 update, fire crews worked on Wednesday to help protect structures in the Staircase area from the flames. They used low intensity fire on the ground to burn between the structures and the main body of the fire, and benefitted from cool overnight temperatures and high humidity.
Firefighters are setting up sprinkler systems and clearing vegetation to help protect Copper Creek structures, according to the post. Crews are also reducing fuels along existing roads and trails to help protect Lake Cushman, Mount Rose Village and active timber sales.
Aircraft were unable to fly on Wednesday, according to the update, due to limited visibility from smoke. Firefighters were able to use helicopters for bucket drops on Thursday.
Due to the fire’s spread into steep, rugged terrain, the heavy fuels it’s burning and the extremely dry conditions, the fire is expected to continue to burn into the Daniel J. Evans and Mount Skokomish Wilderness areas until it’s extinguished by repeated rain and snow in the fall.
It’s expected to vary in intensity, spread and duration as fire activity, fuels and weather change, according to the update.
Northeast of the Bear Gulch fire, the Hamma fire is 66 acres and 60% contained, according to the release. It’s located along FS-2480 in the Hamma Hamma drainage on DNR state land.
Another fire, to the south of Bear Gulch, is under close monitoring and is about a dozen acres.
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 10:43 AM with the headline "Bear Gulch fire in Olympic National Forest expands, prompting Level 3 evacuation."
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