Bolt Creek fire, Highway 2 closure and evacuations — Live updates
A major wildfire burning west of the Cascades since Saturday is now 2% contained — a welcome sign of progress as the blaze continues to burn in timber and brush. The Bolt Creek fire ignited early Saturday morning and spread rapidly to 7,600 acres by Sunday, prompting evacuations around the small town of Index in the western Cascade Mountain foothills. An 18-mile stretch of Highway 2 remains closed from east of Gold Bar to Skykomish. Evacuation orders remain in effect. Throughout Monday, on this page, updates will be provided on fires, air quality and evacuations. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Jennifer Buchanan)
Hottest August on record for Idaho, Oregon and Washington
Oregon, Idaho and Washington had their hottest Augusts in 128 years of record-keeping, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Sept. 9. Heat records fell in all three states, topping old marks for the month by nearly a degree in Idaho and by more than a degree in Washington and Oregon. Temperatures were far above normal. Idaho’s average temperature was 5.67 degrees Fahrenheit above the norm, while Washington’s was 6.3 and Oregon’s 6.6. The three states also set records for average temperature over a two-month period, July and August. Continue reading at Capital Press. (Don Jenkins)
City to hand out meals to Seattle Public Schools students beginning Monday
The city of Seattle will begin distributing meals to Seattle Public Schools (SPS) students while an ongoing teacher strike continues to delay the first day of school. The city is partnering with PTSAs and community groups across the city to hand out meals prepared by the Seattle Public Schools’ culinary services team. Grab-and-go lunches will be available for students and families at nearly 50 locations between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily while the strike continues. In an update Sunday, SPS said the two sides had made progress during negotiations with a mediator, but still had not come to an agreement. Continue reading at KING 5.
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