Gold Bar under fire: Containment at 90 percent

Snohomish County first responders battled two wildfires over the weekend in Oso and east of Gold Bar, which started on Thursday, May 12, and Friday, May 13, respectively.

As of 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 15, the fire perimeter of the Gold Bar fire was being estimated at 352 acres, with containment at 90 percent.-á -á

Crews were dispatched to the Gold Bar wildfire, also called the Proctor Creek wildfire, shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday, May 13, after first responders received reports of smoke coming from the hillside up Forest Service Road 62. Smoke and flames were visible from Zeke's Drive In, located directly east of 439th Drive S.E. on the south side of U.S. 2. Forest Service Road 62 is roughly five miles east of the city of Gold Bar and three miles east of Zeke's.

Just before 5 p.m., the fire was upgraded to a two-alarm, which raised the level of response.

Initially thought to encompass around 15-20 acres, a news release published at 9 p.m. on Friday by Snohomish County Fire District 3/7 Public Information Officer Heather Chadwick revealed that the size of the fire was at 75 acres.

A Level 1 evacuation notice was issued to residents on the south side of U.S. 2, between 437th Drive Southeast and Forest Service Road 62. A Level 1 evacuation means residents should be aware that danger exists and monitor media for updates.

A Level 2 evacuation means significant risk is at hand and residents should "be ready to leave at a moment's notice.GÇ¥ Level 3 means danger is imminent and residents should leave immediately.

First responders from Gold Bar, Sultan, Clearview, Monroe, Getchell, Index, Duvall, the U.S. Forest Service and the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office were all deployed to assist. The county's SnoHawk 10 helicopter was launched to do water drops.

At around 11 p.m., District 7 announced the Level 1 evacuation order in effect for residences south of U.S. 2 in between 437th Drive Southeast and Forest Service Road 62 had been upgraded to a Level 2. Just after 2 a.m., it was upgraded to Level 3. Shortly after midnight, the evacuation alert made it across the highway, with a Level 1 evacuation notice being issued to the Big Bend community.

Big Bend is on the north side of U.S. 2, with its entrance across the street from Zeke's Drive In. Initially, the mood in Big Bend was adventurous and upbeat, with folks wandering around the neighborhood chatting, said lifelong Sky Valley resident Kathie Savelesky.

"But when night fell, the helicopter stopped dropping water and you could see the glow of the fire in the billowing smoke to different degrees towering above virtually every part of the community,GÇ¥ Savelesky said. "That made the size and potential of the fire more apparent and a lot more concerning.GÇ¥

At one point, a group of Big Bend residents gathered at the neighborhood's entrance at U.S. 2.

"From there, viewers could see actual flames shooting up as the fire reached the top of the ridge across the way,GÇ¥ Savelesky said. "Later, after midnight, we started smelling smoke at our house, meaning the winds had started sending the fire more in our direction.GÇ¥-á

Savelesky lives in Big Bend with her daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Erik Johnson, and their 1-year-old daughter. After Big Bend went to Level 1 and the south side of U.S. 2 went to Level 3, she and Erik encouraged Stephanie to leave with the baby, the two of them remaining in the home to see what would happen next.

They packed suitcases, preparing to leave if the evacuation level was upgraded.

As of 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, the fire size was being estimated at 200 acres. By 9 a.m., it had grown to approximately 325 acres in size.

Command of the fire had been taken over by a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Type 3 regional team, and Chadwick and DNR staffer Joe Smillie were dispersing information. While firefighters had struggled with challenging conditions, including steep slopes and difficult to access areas, things eventually began to improve. A news release from Chadwick stated the fire had ceased advancing and was "smoldering and creeping.GÇ¥-á

The Level 3 evacuation area south of U.S. 2 was downgraded to a Level 2.

On Saturday afternoon, Smillie explained that the winds had changed favorably at around 4 a.m., bringing in cool, damp air and eventually rain. Afternoon rains and cooler winds had a positive impact on containment efforts.-á

He said the community had been extremely generous in providing food and other supplies to more than 100 firefighters working on the fire.

"The community's really been great about bringing stuff in,GÇ¥ Smillie said.

Just before 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Chadwick announced that the 325-acre fire was 10 percent contained. Level 2 evacuations remained in place for 12 homes on the south side of U.S. 2, and the Level 1 evacuation notice remained in place for residents of the Big Bend community.

Command of the fire transitioned to a Type 2 Pacific Northwest Incident Management Team (IMT) 10, which was tasked with jointly commanding the Gold Bar Proctor Creek fire and the "HotshotGÇ¥ fire in Oso.

At around 7:16 p.m. Saturday, the Gold Bar Firefighter's Association announced that the Level 1 evacuation of Big Bend had been lifted and the Level 2 evacuation of the area between 437th and 439th Drives Southeast had been relaxed to a Level 1. A post on the association's Facebook page states crews on Saturday had concentrated on keeping the fire from spreading closer to the 12 homes located south of U.S. 2.-á -á

With additional crews deployed to the scene Saturday night and wetter conditions, 90 percent containment was achieved by Sunday evening.

Outreach efforts by Sultan and Gold Bar residents kicked in as soon as evacuation advisements were issued on Friday. In true Sky Valley fashion, the community showed up in full force.

By 9:30 p.m. Friday night, Volunteers of America Sky Valley Services Director Calei Vaughn was busy establishing a resource list for those that might need assistance. Animal organizations, such as the Northwest Equine Stewardship Center and MyOwnly Boarding Kennel in Monroe, stood by to accept evacuated animals.

As soon as the Level 3 evacuation was issued for residents on the south side of U.S. 2, Vaughn and Sultan City Councilmember Marianne Naslund coordinated with the Red Cross to implement an emergency shelter at Sultan Middle School.

No evacuees used the emergency shelter, as many took refuge with family. As imminent danger to homes lessened and the Level 3 evacuation was downgraded to a Level 2, Vaughn shifted her focus to coordinating firefighter needs. The Sultan VOA was established as a donation drop-off site, and a list of needs was posted on social media.

Vick's Burger Shack in Sultan sent firefighters burgers and lemonade, and Jerry "Big DogGÇ¥ Dixon offered to drive up with his Seahawks-themed "HawkdogGÇ¥ truck to provide free hotdogs.

Donations poured into the VOA and Gold Bar's Fire Station 54, including bottled water, PowerAde, Gatorade, peanut butter and Clif bars. By 4 p.m. Saturday, firefighters asked that donation efforts be suspended because the need had been filled.

For updates on the fire's containment, visit www.facebook.com/GoldBarFirefightersAssociation.