Norse Peak Fire
9/11/17 11:16am: Due to ongoing efforts to contain the fire, we will remain closed for the remainder of the week which concludes our summer season. We had hoped we could reopen but due to several factors that is not going to be a possibility. Firefighters continue to work in the area and there’s still a small fire smouldering in Bullion Basin and at Half Camp. We will finish up our snowmaking project as scheduled and be ready to go when the snow flies. Thanks for a great summer and we look forward to seeing you this winter! Check out what’s new for the coming season.
9/10/17 11:16am: The fire on our side of the ridge is mostly contained and as long as things continue to improve we hope to reopen Thursday or Friday to finish out the season. Stay tuned for an announcement in the next day or two. We are relieved no structures were damaged and beyond grateful to all of the firefighters who continue to mop this thing up. We remain under a level 3 evacuation at this time. Stay tuned for updates.
9/8/17 10:09am: The fire is stable at this time and there have been no structural damages. As soon as the evacuation order is lifted we will make an announcement about whether or not we’ll be resuming summer operations through September 17th. At this time we remain closed and under a level 3 evacuation. We will update again once something changes.
9/7/17 9:52am: The fire continues to burn in Bullion Basin but is stable. Additional personnel and resources will join our local volunteers. Fires are also burning above the Silver Springs and Dalles cabin areas, and there’s another fire north of Greenwater called the Sawmill Creek Fire. The visibility is much better today and smoke is starting to shift to the east so we hope to see some water drops by helicopter today. There is no imminent threat but we are still under a level 3 evacuation order so please stay out of the area.
9/6/17 7:54am: We made it through the night without much fire movement, the activity remained contained in Bullion Basin with some spot fires to the north. The fire above Silver Springs remains small and the cabins are unharmed. The temps are much cooler this morning and by this evening the wind will start blowing the smoke back to the east. The fires will continue to be monitored. We feel extremely fortunate no structure were lost. We are very thankful for all of the hardworking firefighters who have worked long hours to monitor and protect the area. At this time it’s still unknown when we’ll be able to reopen, we’re still under level 3 orders but we anticipate that will be downgraded later today or tomorrow. Stay tuned.
9/5/17 6:45pm: Helicopters have been unable to fly due to poor visibility. Fire activity has increased in the Bullion Basin area and near Rocky Point above Silver Springs. Crews will continue to closely monitor the fire overnight.
9/5/17 11:10am: The fire has become less active but fire crews are still monitoring it very closely. We are waiting for the thick smoke to clear enough for the Forest Service to launch helicopter water drops. Sprinklers have been placed around the Gold Hills community.
9/5/17 5:10am: A few firefighters have returned to the ski area and good news is it doesn’t appear the fire reached any buildings or lifts overnight. The fire is still active so we will continue to monitor this closely. Alta Crystal Resort and Silver Springs cabins were evacuated overnight.
Sites to follow for more information:
Greenwater Firefighters Association on Facebook
Incident Information System Updates
Norse Peak Fire Information on Facebook
Update 9/4/17 10:23pm: Firefighters have pulled out due to risk of access to the road being cut off. The fire remains on the east side of the valley and is moving to the north. It is not threatening any of our buildings or lifts at this time. We will re-evalulate the situation in the morning. Photo taken from B lot.
Update 9/4/17 8:46pm: The fire crossed the ridge shortly after 7pm and is moving down the slope quickly between East Peak and Norse Peak. We are under a level 3 evacuation and everyone must leave. Response teams are on site. 
Update 9/4/17 8:22am: We are closed today due to smoke and poor air quality from the Norse Peak fire that has been burning to the east of us since August 11th. The wind has changed direction and is causing smoke to shift to the west. All hiking trails in the area are closed. At this time hotel guests, condo/home owners and delivery services are allowed access to the resort, otherwise all other traffic is being diverted at the base of the boulevard. Crystal Mountain Hotels (Quicksilver, Village Inn & Alpine Inn), the Snorting Elk Cellar and the Alpine Inn Restaurant will remain open for overnight guests. We are currently under a level 1 evacuation and will continue to monitor the situation. Please stay tuned for updates.
About the Norse Peak Fire
Thirteen fires were ignited by lightning on August 10th and 11th, in the vicinity of the William O. Douglas and Norse Peak Wilderness Areas on the Naches Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The fires are burning in steep rocky terrain, with difficult access. Two of the fires have reached significant size and remain active: the Norse Peak Fire (burning north of State Route 410 (SR410) near Union Creek) and the American Fire (burning between SR410 and Bumping Lake). These fires are all being managed collectively as “Norse Peak.” Resources are being shared between the fires. Until August 28th, fire growth had been moderate. A weather event called a thermal trough moved over the fire on Monday August 28th, and combined with very hot and dry conditions, the Union Creek Fire and Fire #367 merged with the Norse Peak Fire. While the American Fire had moderate growth that day, the fires north of Highway 410 nearly doubled in size that day, growing north and east in the Norse Peak Wilderness.
