King and Three Queens Fires Near Snoqualmie Pass Pose Risk to I-90 Corridor

Two wildfires burning near Snoqualmie Pass in the central Washington Cascades are drawing heightened attention from fire managers and transportation officials as breezy westerly winds return Tuesday afternoon. The King Fire and Three Queens Fire, both managed by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, sit within 6–7 miles of the Snoqualmie Pass summit — a critical junction of U.S. Highway 2 alternatives and the Interstate 90 corridor connecting Seattle to eastern Washington.

King Fire

The King Fire has burned 3,314 acres approximately 7 miles northeast of Snoqualmie Pass and remains at zero percent containment as of the September 21 NIFC situation report. Zero containment on a fire of this size — particularly one positioned near a heavily used mountain corridor — is a significant concern for fire managers. The fire is in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on terrain where Cascade gap winds can produce rapid and erratic fire behavior.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest incident information line for the King Fire and adjacent fires is (509) 213-5294. Travelers on U.S. Highway 2 and I-90 should monitor the Washington State Department of Transportation's traveler information site (wsdot.wa.gov/travel) for road closure updates.

Three Queens Fire

The Three Queens Fire, burning 6 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass, has grown to 9,566 acres and stands at just 23 percent containment. The fire is also managed by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and is actively burning in mixed conifer terrain on the east slope of the Cascades, where dry fuels and afternoon downslope winds create the potential for spotting and rapid spread.

The combination of low containment on both fires and forecast wind gusts of up to 25 mph through Cascade gaps today makes both the King and Three Queens fires high-priority incidents for the Pacific Northwest coordination system.

Proximity to Infrastructure and Communities

Snoqualmie Pass is one of the most heavily traveled mountain passes in the state, handling both recreational and commercial traffic between the Puget Sound region and eastern Washington. Closure of I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass would force detours through alternate routes including Stevens Pass (U.S. 2) and White Pass (U.S. 12), adding significant travel time and putting pressure on other mountain highways.

Several small communities and developed recreation sites sit within or adjacent to the fire areas, including ski area infrastructure at the Snoqualmie Pass ski area. Washington State Patrol and the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office are monitoring the situation and coordinating with fire managers on evacuation readiness.

Evacuation Readiness

No evacuation orders are currently in effect for the Snoqualmie Pass area, but residents and visitors in the zone near both fires should be prepared to leave quickly if conditions change. Kittitas and King Counties' emergency management offices are the authoritative sources for any evacuation orders or warnings in this area:

Kittitas County Emergency Management: kittitascountyem.com
King County Emergency Management: kingcounty.gov/EM
Washington State Emergency Management: mil.wa.gov/emergency-management

What's Being Done

Engine resources, hand crews, and aerial support have been deployed to both fires. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has ordered additional resources as the afternoon wind event approaches. Fire weather forecasters from the local NWS office are in close coordination with fire behavior analysts to track how the trough passage will affect both fires this afternoon and into the evening hours.