ENUMCLAW, Wash. — Both directions of State Route 169 north of Enumclaw were closed Thursday morning after an “incident,” according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Later that same morning, the Enumclaw Fire Department shared details of said incident — a power pole fire.
Enumclaw Fire says their firefighters and Puget Sound Energy (PSE) crews responded to the incident along Hwy 169, near 264th Ave SE, at around 3:20 a.m.
When fire crews arrived on scene, they reportedly found a power pole that was on fire and significantly compromised.
Highway 169 was immediately shut down at the cross streets, 416th St and 400th St, due to the danger.
WSDOT posted about the incident at 5:15 a.m., telling drivers the closure was blocking all lanes in both directions along SR 169 between Southeast 416th and 400th streets (mileposts 2-3).
Law enforcement and the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Incident Response Team also responded to the incident.
WSDOT confirmed that a detour was in place, diverting southbound traffic west to SE 400th St and northbound traffic east to SE 416th St.
“Shortly after traffic was rerouted, in a dramatic explosion of fire and electricity, the transformer blew, causing the weakened power pole to fail, making that immediate area extremely dangerous,” wrote Enumclaw Fire.
PSE crews ensured power to the area was secured so the fire could be extinguished, and according to Enumclaw Fire, the scene was stabilized as of 6:30 a.m.
“If your commute takes you down Hwy 169 between 416th St and 400th St (Krain Corner), you will be detoured or experience delays for the majority of the day as PSE works to fix the problem,” wrote the fire department.
Real-time travel information is available via the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT travel map, or by signing up for WSDOT’s email updates.