State Route 20 reopens after it’s cleared of debris, but delays expected due to wildfire

State Route 20 has reopened again between Newhalem and Silver Star in the heart of the Sourdough Fire.

The highway reopened at 9:07 a.m. Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation wrote on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter.

The highway was cleared of debris left by the Sourdough fire burning in the North Cascades National Park. The fire is still ongoing but has mostly been contained to wilderness and no people or buildings are in the direct path of the fire, officials have said.

People should still expect delays and plan ahead and expect traffic, WSDOT said.

This section of highway is the northernmost route through the Cascades linking Eastern and Western Washington.

The Sourdough fire started June 29 after a lightning strike near Diablo and has been burning since. Firefighters have worked to save the small enclave of Diablo and a power generating plant that are no longer in danger.

An air quality alert was issued Friday afternoon and burn bans are in effect throughout Whatcom County..

Prediction models from both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and FireSmoke Canada showed smoke drifting toward Bellingham from fires in the North Cascades and on Vancouver Island.

Fire officials have said they expect the Sourdough Fire to burn throughout the summer until the fall rains and snows come.