Traffic over Blewett Pass remains snarled due to a wildfire in Kittitas County that torched roughly 30 acres early Sunday.
The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office says the Liberty-Swauk Creek Fire was sparked by a vehicle fire at milepost 151 along U.S. Highway 97 (US-97) a few miles north of the Lauderdale Junction at just after midnight on Sunday.
The blaze spread quickly and prompted the closure of a 25-mile stretch of US-97, as well as Level 1 and 2 Evacuation Notices for several areas near the blaze, including the entire community of Liberty.
Crews worked to contain the blaze overnight and State Mobilization was ordered to bring in additional firefighting resources.
Sheriff’s officials reported the fire was fully under control as of 4 p.m., but the highway will not fully reopen until tomorrow morning, when a pilot car will be used to escort traffic through the fire zone while crews continue working to mop up the blaze.
There have been no reports of any structures being damaged or destroyed and no injuries were reported.
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Gallery Credit: ASHLEY SOLLARS