Blewett Pass to close Dec. 4 for burn scar clean-up

BLEWETT PASS — Blewett Pass will be closed to travelers on Dec. 4 as crews perform cleanup on the burn scar area of the Labor Mountain Fire, which spread over the pass this fall.

Crews from both Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the U.S. Forest Service have identified multiple sites to remove trees that could be a hazard and debris north of the summit. The full closure will allow crews to work at several locations on the pass at once, expediting the work without having to pause to allow traffic through the work zone.

The highway will be closed between the junction of SR 970 at Lauderdale (milepost 149) and Ingalls Creek Road (milepost 177). Work is expected to take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 4 only. However, WSDOT maintains that schedules may change for multiple reasons, and tree removal is dependent on weather conditions.

Road updates and current conditions are available through WSDOT’s real-time travel map. Alternative routes available during the closure are US-2 over Stevens Pass and State Route 28 through Wenatchee and Quincy.

Labor Mountain Fire activity previously closed US-97 from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7. The 16-day closure was the longest in Blewett Pass history, according to WSDOT. 

The Labor Mountain Fire started 10 miles northeast of Cle Elum on Sept. 1, caused by a dry lightning storm passing over Central Washington. The fire burned approximately 43,000 acres over a two-month period, which included a large stretch of US-97 near Blewett Pass. The fire’s activity caused a 16-day closure of US-97, from Sept. 21 to Oct. 7, the longest in Blewett Pass history, according to WSDOT. 

According to the U.S. Forest Service, burn areas can pose a number of hazards, including unstable trees, loose rocks and logs, flash floods, and burned-out stump holes.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media