Wildfires Near Roslyn & Cle Elum, WA — Every Major Fire Since 2012
Seven major wildfires have burned in or near Upper Kittitas County since 2012 — nearly 160,000 acres combined — and six of them forced evacuations. Most started with lightning in late summer. This page documents every major fire near Roslyn, Cle Elum, Ronald, and Easton, what it burned, and who had to leave. This page is a historical record of the area’s major fires — not a live incident tracker. For current fire activity, check InciWeb and Kittitas County Emergency Management.
Update: 7/19/2026 — Added firsthand photos and video of the Jolly Mountain Fire, taken from Roslyn and SR-903.
The 2012 Fire Season — Taylor Bridge and Table Mountain
Taylor Bridge Fire (August 13–28, 2012)
The Taylor Bridge Fire started at a bridge construction site between I-90 and US-97 east of Cle Elum and burned approximately 23,500 acres, destroying 61 homes — the most destructive fire in modern Kittitas County history. It required multi-agency structural defense across the Highway 970/Teanaway corridor. Wikipedia: Taylor Bridge Fire
Table Mountain Fire (September 2012)
Weeks later, lightning ignited the Table Mountain Fire east of US-97 near Blewett Pass, about 10 miles north of Cle Elum. It burned approximately 42,312 acres, put roughly 161 homes under Level 3 evacuation, and took more than 750 firefighters to contain by October 6. FEMA issued disaster declaration FM-5020-WA. FEMA declaration
Snag Canyon Fire (August 2–29, 2014)
Lightning started the Snag Canyon Fire about 12 miles north of Ellensburg. It burned approximately 12,500 acres and destroyed 22 structures, including 10 homes. Level 3 evacuations and road closures followed, with roughly 774 personnel deployed under a Type 1 Incident Management Team — the highest-complexity command level in the system.
Jolly Mountain Fire (August 11 – November 2, 2017) — the Upper County’s Closest Call
The Jolly Mountain Fire is the one that mattered most for Roslyn and Ronald. Lightning started it about 6 miles northwest of Cle Elum in the Wenatchee National Forest, and it burned for nearly three months — approximately 36,808 acres. A state of emergency was declared August 29. Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations covering about 150 homes began August 31, the county Emergency Operations Center activated September 2, and command transferred to the Washington State Patrol’s Fire Protection Bureau with large-scale aerial support. Wikipedia: Jolly Mountain Fire
Every evacuation route for the communities above Roslyn runs down SR-903 — the only paved road out. Jolly Mountain is the fire that came closest to testing what happens when the upper county has to leave at once. We’ve analyzed that scenario in detail: SR-903 cannot handle a mass evacuation and One road, one chance.
The 2025 Fire Season — Three Fires in Five Months
Red Bridge Fire (June 9–13, 2025)
The Red Bridge Fire burned about 7 miles east of Cle Elum, north of Red Bridge Road. Small by acreage — roughly 44–60 acres — it still destroyed at least 2 structures and triggered Level 2–3 evacuations. Some 150 firefighters, 3 strike teams, and aerial tankers responded before the U.S. Forest Service assumed command; contained June 13. A June fire with evacuations was an early warning for the season.
Sun Country Fire (August 18–20, 2025)
The Sun Country Fire burned along I-90 between mileposts 77 and 84 near Easton — about 70 acres, with the nearby Little Creek Fire adding 5–7 more. Level 1–2 evacuations were issued near homes and the fish hatchery, and I-90 briefly closed. A Type 3 Incident Management Team, 232 personnel, and 30 engines responded under the state Resource Mobilization Plan.
Labor Mountain Fire (September – November 2025)
Lightning started the Labor Mountain Fire on September 1 near the Chelan–Kittitas county line, west of US-97. It grew into the largest fire in the area’s modern record — approximately 42,967 acres — closing a 30-mile stretch of US-97 over Blewett Pass and putting Mission Creek Road and Valley Hi under Level 3 “Go Now” orders. More than 1,000 personnel, 27 crews, and 73 engines fought it; roughly 95% containment came by November 1. At the same time, the Lower Sugarloaf Fire was burning over 31,000 acres to the north in Chelan County, stretching the same regional firefighting resources across two large incidents at once. InciWeb: Labor Mountain Fire
The Pattern — What Seven Fires in Thirteen Years Tell Us
- Lightning starts most of them. Taylor Bridge (construction) is the exception; Table Mountain, Snag Canyon, Jolly Mountain, and Labor Mountain were all lightning ignitions.
- Late summer is the season. Six of the seven ignited between August 2 and September 25 — when fuels are driest and thunderstorms roll over the Cascades.
- Evacuations are the norm, not the exception. Six of seven fires forced residents from their homes; four reached Level 3 “Go Now.”
- The fires are getting closer together. 2012 brought two major fires; 2025 brought three within five months.
- Highway closures are part of every large fire. US-97/Blewett Pass closed for weeks in 2025. I-90 closed briefly for Sun Country. For Roslyn and Ronald, the road that matters is SR-903 — and there is no backup.
If You Live in the Upper County
- Know your evacuation levels — Level 1 (get ready), Level 2 (get set), Level 3 (go now) — and sign up for Kittitas County alerts via the fire info page
- Read the SR-903 evacuation risk analysis — one road out changes how early you should leave
- Have a go bag ready before fire season starts, not after the smoke shows up
- During fire season, follow current conditions on InciWeb and Kittitas County Emergency Management
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do major wildfires happen near Cle Elum and Roslyn, WA?
Seven major wildfires have burned in or near Upper Kittitas County since 2012 — roughly one every two years, with fire seasons clustering in August and September. The 2025 season alone brought three: Red Bridge (June), Sun Country (August), and Labor Mountain (September–November).
What was the largest wildfire near Cle Elum, WA?
The Labor Mountain Fire (2025) is the largest in the area’s modern record at approximately 42,967 acres, narrowly passing the Table Mountain Fire (2012) at 42,312 acres. The most destructive was the Taylor Bridge Fire (2012), which destroyed 61 homes east of Cle Elum.
Has Roslyn, WA ever been evacuated for a wildfire?
The closest call was the Jolly Mountain Fire in 2017, when Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders covered about 150 homes in the upper county and a state of emergency was declared. Any full evacuation of Roslyn, Ronald, and the Lake Cle Elum communities would depend on SR-903 — the only paved road out.