North Cascades Highway closes again due to wildfire

SEATTLE — A portion of North Cascades Highway is once again closed as authorities try to control the Easy fire that has been burning for days east of Ross Lake.

The Washington State Department of Transportation on Sunday afternoon closed Highway 20 between milepost 148 near the Granite Creek Bridge and milepost 157 near the Easy Pass trailhead. There is no estimated time as to when the road will reopen, the department said on the social platform X on Monday morning.

Sparked by a lightning strike last week, the Easy fire had led to an hourslong closure of Highway 20 that lasted from Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon.

As of Monday morning, the Easy fire had burned 300 acres and was 0% contained, according to a report by the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

The center warned of a deepening marine layer that will spill over the Cascade slopes, bringing “very gusty winds” to new and existing fires.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning through Monday at 11 p.m. for parts of Eastern Washington, including the eastern portion of North Cascades National Park.