Visitor Advisory: 8/19/2025
Recreation Areas affected by Bear Gulch Fire

Estimated size: 8,373 acres Containment: 7%

Area of Origin: North side of Lake Cushman near Mount Rose in the Olympic National Forest, Hoodsport, WA.

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation Structures Damaged: 0 Fire Resources: 640

Update: With clearer skies, helicopters and UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) resumed flying yesterday, allowing fire managers to assess current fire activity. Crews continued progressing on indirect fire line along roads 24 and 2419, and roads along the South Fork of the Skokomish River. The communications unit installed a new repeater hub on South Mountain to improve radio capabilities and firefighter safety. Crews continued mopping up around Lake Cushman, cooling and securing the fire’s edge, increasing overall incident containment for the second straight day.

Today marks the beginning of a warming/drying trend expected to peak this weekend. Working under a full suppression strategy, air resources will focus on holding the fire in check in the Mt. Rose and No Name Creek areas. Ground resources will continue indirect fire line along the 24 and 2419 roads, and roads along the South Fork of the Skokomish River. Crews will maintain sprinkler systems around structures in the Copper Creek residential area, secure containment lines, and rehabilitate and clean up around structures no longer threatened by fire.

Fire Behavior: Downed trees, stumps, sheltered fuels, and duff (organic surface material) will continue to burn and produce smoke. Fire behavior today is expected to be mostly smoldering and creeping though the chance for surface spread will increase as more sunlight reaches the fire and fuels begin to dry.

Weather: High temperatures today will range from 68° to 74°F with overnight highs between 50° and 56°F. Daytime humidities will range from 60-70%. There will be smoke, fog, and low clouds in the morning with increasing cloud cover and slight chances of drizzle through afternoon hours.    

Smoke Outlook: Air quality can change quickly. Know your risk to wildfire smoke and plan to reduce exposure. For current smoke reports, visit:https://fire.airnow.gov

Lake Closure: The southern half of the lake is open to recreation. The north half of the lake is closed to support the Bear Gulch suppression and evacuation efforts.

Fire Restrictions: All campfires are prohibited in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. All outdoor burning is prohibited in Mason County.

Olympic National Forest Closures: There are many road, trail, and campground closures in the southeast portion of the Forest. Closure information:https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/alerts

Olympic National Park Closures: There are extensive closures on the southeast corner of Olympic National Park. Closure information:https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/fire-conditions-and-updates.htmRecreation Opportunities: Many recreation areas remain open. Learn more below.

Stay updated at masoncountywa.gov, fire.airnow.gov, and on Facebook at Bear Gulch 2025.