A human-caused fire in North Cascades National Park is under investigation after an illegal campfire set on Aug. 2 in Goodell Creek Campground damaged two old-growth cedars with cultural significance to the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
The campground is located near Newhalem in an old-growth forest on the bank of the Skagit River. Scott Schuyler, an elder and the tribe’s cultural and natural resources policy representative, said that his people have occupied the area since time immemorial and once had an important village where Newhalem is now.
When the fire at the campground was detected on Aug. 2, crews tackled it from the ground and with helicopter water drops. They were eventually able to extinguish the conflagration but not before the cedars were damaged.
“The Park Service firefighting staff did everything they could to save the trees and we worked closely with them,” Schuyler said. “We hoped for the best but it wasn’t to be.”
Both cedars that burned dated back to pre-European contact, and one was considered a “culturally modified tree,” meaning it showed signs of generational use by the tribe. But, Schuyler clarified, all old-growth cedars hold significance.
“Clothing, housing, transportation — they are a central part of our lives,” he said.
Recreational fires have been banned since July 8 within all portions of North Cascades National Park Service Complex to help reduce the chance of human-caused wildfires during hot, dry summer conditions. The ban includes campfires as well as the ignition of wood, briquettes, or any fuel in fire pits, fire pans and barbeque grills.
The campground reopened on Aug. 7, but the cause of the fire is under investigation. Schuyler hopes that the people responsible are eventually held accountable, and believes that could translate into a positive learning opportunity for everyone to better protect vital environmental and cultural resources.
“It’s unfortunate that this one act of foolishness resulted in such a traumatic loss for the Upper Skagit Tribe,” he said.
Several other fires are burning in the North Cascades region, notably the lightning-sparked Easy Fire that has caused intermittent closures of SR20 and the human-caused Pioneer Fire on the northeast side of Lake Chelan. The Pioneer Fire was at 36,970 acres and 13% contained as of Aug. 8 — while much of the fire is within wilderness, it could affect population centers if it were to spread significantly.
Wildfire updates can be found at the federal Inciweb site. Fire managers in the region predict that many of the wildfires burning in Washington and Oregon, and potential fires that may start later this summer, will persist until the areas receive significant rain or snow this fall, according to an Aug. 8 news release from the U.S. Forest Service.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
