Bear Gulch
Crews prepare a roadway near Lake Cushman in Washington State, USA on August 5, 2025 for the potential spread of the Bear Gulch Fire.
The Bear Gulch Fire near Hoodsport, Washington began around the Fourth of July on the shore of Lake Cushman. Like many American Independence Day celebrations, the meaning of the holiday was overshadowed.
The Bear Gulch Fire burns near Lake Cushman in Washington State, USA on August 5, 2025.
The result is a fire burning into Olympic National Park, unlikely to be fully contained until the winter. A popular trail and recreation site called Staircase was affected by the conflagration. Most observers of this fire who experienced Staircase acknowledge the aura of what were clear, deep pools amongst ancient trees.
Hwy 101 leads to Hoodsport, and when headed north along this scenic drive a series of rustic firework stands sit shuttered. The stands are adorned with slogans such as “Danger Zone” and “Millertime”, which evoke a nostalgia for a simpler, more innocent time. It was probably fun to party with fireworks in the 1980s before intense droughts and record-breaking heat defined the modern era.
Members of the community at the Bear Gulch Fire Town Hall Meeting in Hoodsport, Washington, USA on August 21, 2025.
An Olympic National Park sign was removed during the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington State, USA, seen on August 22, 2025.
Operations Section Chief Travis Ederer of California Team 7 speaks at the Bear Gulch Fire Town Hall Meeting in Hoodsport, Washington, USA on August 21, 2025.
The irony of fireworks for sale near a combustible national treasure is acute. Fireworks are not legal on public lands and the cause of the Bear Gulch Fire remains under investigation. The fire is widely confirmed to be human caused and fireworks are a possible explanation. But, the magnitude of wildfires go beyond this contradictory set of regulations. The vast majority of wildfires are human caused and fireworks are one of many causes.
Staircase Ranger Station in Olympic National Park remains wrapped for protection from the Bear Gulch Fire on August 22, 2024, in Washington State, USA.
Patchworks of regulations at various scales continue to confound our best efforts at maintaining a healthy ecosystem, from conservation and preservation perspectives to sustainable land use and agricultural efforts to preventing exploitation and destruction. That said, wildland firefighting efforts are a refreshing exception to the status quo.
The Bear Gulch Fire is smoldering amongst state and national forests, parks, and wilderness areas. As this and many other fires demonstrate, the human propensity for exerting control is dwarfed by Earth’s physical powers.
Air Resources Advisor Todd Johnson speaks at the Bear Gulch Fire Town Hall Meeting in Hoodsport, Washington, USA on August 21, 2025.
A Rapid Extraction Module Support (REMS) team at the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington State, USA on August 22, 2025.
Crew from Northridge Wildfire flag dangerous trees during the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington State, USA on August 22, 2025.
