Wildfire closes SR 410 near Sumner, thousands forced to evacuate

Thousands have been forced to evacuate as a wildfire near State Route 410 continues to spread.

Officials began evacuations early Tuesday, but later expanded the evacuation zones in the evening, upgrading it to level three for areas south and west of SR 410.

The highway was shut down near 181st Ave E to 166th Ave E just before 2 a.m. Tuesday and it is not yet known when it will reopen.

There are also power outages in the area, and classes in the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District were canceled Tuesday and again Wednesday because students have no internet access for distance learning.

East Pierce Fire provided an update on the fire around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The fire has burned about 150 acres, four structures and is about 20 percent contained.

Officials said that even if your home isn’t in the evacuation zone, that could change and encouraged residents to have a plan of action.

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Eastside firefighters say they will likely have SR 410 closed for hours. They are trying to use the highway as a fire break, hopefully preventing it from moving further south.

New fire breaks out near Mud Mountain Dam

Another wildfire along SR 410 broke out early Tuesday.

Firefighters from Enumclaw, Puget Sound Regional Fire, Buckley, Washington Department of Natural Resources, and the US Forest Service are fighting a 10-15 acre wildfire on Highway 410 just past the Mud Mountain Dam.

The fire was called in at 5:20 a.m, and when firefighters arrived, they found a fire spreading up the steep wooded slopes on the north side of the highway and a slow moving fire on the south side.

Crews said they were successful in fighting the fire on the south side. The fire on the north side is being assessed by a Department of Natural Resources helicopter.

Additional crews and heavy equipment were requested through DNR and were arriving Tuesday morning.

King County Fire District 20 said there are no threats to any homes in the area and the distance of the fire to any structures would allow plenty of time for any evacuation orders if necessary.

If evacuations were needed, people will be contacted through the reverse 911 system, social media, media partners, and on the ground resources.

Cox Media Group