A fire that broke out near Lake Cushman overnight had grown to around 120 acres, shutting down the popular Staircase area, according to officials.
The fire was reported around 11 p.m. Sunday and was burning between 10 and 20 acres Monday morning, said Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Thomas Kyle-Milward.
The Olympic National Forest reported the Bear Gulch fire blocked access to Forest Service Road 24 along the lake and closed the Mount Rose, Dry Creek and Copper Creek trailheads, as well as the Bear Gulch day use area.
The Staircase area and campground in Olympic National Park are also closed.
According to the Olympic National Forest and Kyle-Milward, the fire was growing and burning in steep, rocky terrain. The cause of the fire was not known, Kyle-Milward said.
A Type 3 incident management team, made up of personnel from federal, state and local fire agencies, has been ordered. Type 3 is a step below a complex incident management team, which is reserved for the largest fires, he said.
