The Bear Gulch Fire burning near Lake Cushman in Olympic National Forest had reached an estimated 9,232 acres with 13% containment as of Saturday, according to fire officials.
The fire, which began on July 6 at 8:37 p.m. on the north side of Lake Cushman near Mount Rose, is human-caused but remains under investigation.
Crews are working under a full suppression strategy with 303 personnel assigned.
No structures have been damaged.
On Friday, a Wildfire Module was flown into the Black and White Lakes area of Olympic National Park to install a remote camera that will give fire managers real-time panoramic views of fire activity.
Despite haze and cloud cover, aircraft were able to drop water buckets in the No Name drainage, and an infrared reconnaissance flight confirmed areas of scattered and isolated heat.
Ground crews continued suppression repair efforts, clearing ditches, bucking downed trees, and moving rocks from steep slopes.
Firefighters remain posted around homes and other structures to protect them from the blaze.
Officials expect limited fire growth over the weekend, with some isolated torching possible in upper Slate Creek and surrounding drainages.
Cloudy conditions may help slow fire spread but could also restrict air operations.
Residents are urged to stay alert to changing air quality, as wildfire smoke conditions can shift quickly.
Current smoke information is available at fire.airnow.gov.
The northern half of Lake Cushman is closed to the public to support firefighting operations, while the southern half remains open to recreation.
Additional closures are in place across Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park.
A Temporary Flight Restriction is also active over the fire area. R
ecreation sites that remain open can be found at explorehoodcanal.com.
All campfires are banned in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. Outdoor burning is prohibited in Mason County.
Evacuation orders remain in effect.
The area near Dry Creek Trail, including Staircase Campground and homes north of the Lake Cushman causeway, is under a Level 3 “GO” order.
Areas south of Dry Creek remain under a Level 2 “BE SET” notice.
Current evacuation information is available through the Mason County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.