Bear With Me Here — The World Is On Fire.

Bear Gulch Fire Surges in Washington as U.S. Wildfires Escalate

It’s September 18, 2025, and the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington’s Olympic National Forest has exploded to 18,728 acres, a 5,000-acre increase in just two days, with containment dropping to 4%, per recent updates. This human-caused fire, sparked July 6 near Lake Cushman, is part of 60 large wildfires across 12 states, engaging 20,468 firefighters and scorching over 718,000 acres, per NIFC. California’s Garnet Fire (56,724 acres, 15% contained), Pyrite Fire (400 acres, 5% contained), and 6-5 Fire (7,037 acres, 0% contained) were fueled by 9,619 lightning strikes, per CAL FIRE. The PNW battles 19 wildfires, BC’s Kamloops reports 12 new fires, and globally, 102 million hectares have burned, per CTIF. Are gold mining, land grabs, or insurance pullouts driving these fires? It’s too early, but Tuolumne’s gold and Riverside’s industrial zones raise questions. Here’s the latest.

Bear Gulch Fire: Rapid Growth in Olympic National Forest

The Bear Gulch Fire, human-caused near Mt. Rose Trailhead, surged from 13,728 to 18,728 acres in two days, with containment falling from 9% to 4%, per USDA Forest Service. Burning in steep terrain north of Lake Cushman, it’s driven by dry easterly winds and low humidity, producing heavy smoke across the Olympic Peninsula, per KOMO News. Level 3 “GO” evacuations remain for Dry Creek Trail, Staircase Campground, and north Lake Cushman, with Level 2 “SET” south of Dry Creek, per Map of Fire. Helicopter bucket drops target Copper Creek, but rugged terrain limits ground crews, per MyNorthwest. Displacement: 200–600 displaced (0.004–0.012% of Mason County’s 5M, 0.00006–0.00018% of U.S. 341M), per Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Smoke impacts air quality, per X posts.

[](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/newsroom/releases/tunnel-creek-and-bear-gulch-fires-update)[](https://komonews.com/news/local/bear-gulch-fire-intensifies-after-day-of-high-temps-smoke-blankets-olympic-peninsula-lake-cushman-wildfire-season-high-heat-flames)[](https://www.mapofire.com/fires/141397153/washington/bear-gulch-fire)

California’s Firestorm: Garnet, Pyrite, and 6-5

The Garnet Fire (56,724 acres, 15% contained) in Fresno’s Sierra National Forest, slowed by cooler air, threatens sequoias and PG&E infrastructure, with evacuations in zones K27–K166, per CAL FIRE. Displacement: 500–1,500 (0.025–0.075% of Fresno’s 2M). The Pyrite Fire (400 acres, 5% contained) in Jurupa Valley has evacuations in JUR-0017–JUR-0036, per KTLA. Displacement: 1,000–3,000 (0.0026–0.0077% of state). The 6-5 Fire (7,037 acres, 0% contained) in Chinese Camp, part of the TCU Complex (13,966 acres, 22% contained), destroyed homes, per CAL FIRE. Displacement: 200–500 (0.0005–0.0013% of state). Tuolumne’s gold (10.1M ounces) could spark mining interest, per The Diggings.

PNW and Kamloops: Regional Fires

The PNW’s 19 wildfires include the Emigrant Fire (30,500 acres, 0% contained), displacing 500–1,500 (0.005–0.015% of Oregon’s 4.2M), per That Oregon Life. Kamloops’ 12 new fires from 160 lightning strikes displaced 100–300 (0.002–0.006% of BC’s 5.5M), per BCWS. No mining in Lane or Kamloops, per Mindat.org.

Global Wildfires: Patterns Emerge

Globally, 102 million hectares burned by June, with Africa’s 53 million tied to land-clearing, per CTIF. Europe’s 1 million hectares face urban risks, per X posts. Africa’s gold regions may mask mining agendas, per The Standard.

Land Use and Hidden Agendas

• Gold Mining: No mining in Mason (Bear Gulch), Fresno (Garnet), Riverside (Pyrite), or Lane; Tuolumne’s dormant claims could revive ($2,500/ounce), per Junior Mining Network. Africa’s fires may mask mining, per Mindat.org.
• Zoning Changes: Public in Mason, Fresno, Riverside, Tuolumne, Lane, Kamloops, per Riverside County, Tuolumne County, BCWS.
• Tourism: No masking, but may highlight land, per Visit Tuolumne, The Standard.
• Insurance Pullouts: 30% non-renewals in Mason, Fresno, Riverside, Tuolumne, Kamloops could invite investors, per Yale Climate Connections, AJG.

News and X Sentiment

News focuses on firefighting and evacuations, per KTLA, Weather.com, KOMO News. X posts highlight smoke impacts and fire weather risks, per X posts, X posts. One unverified land grab claim persists, per X posts.

[](https://komonews.com/news/local/bear-gulch-fire-intensifies-after-day-of-high-temps-smoke-blankets-olympic-peninsula-lake-cushman-wildfire-season-high-heat-flames)

2025 Wildfire Crisis

U.S.: 45,000–58,000 displaced (0.013–0.017% of 341M). California: 42,000–54,000 (0.11–0.14% of 39M). Canada: 5,000–10,000 (0.012–0.024% of 42M). Africa: Thousands displaced, per Newsweek, CTIF.

Stay Watchful

With the Bear Gulch Fire surging, stay safe—avoid tall structures. No evidence ties fires to agendas, but gold and land patterns need scrutiny. Revisit by:

• Tracking mining: The Diggings.
• Checking zoning: Riverside, Tuolumne.
• Searching X for “Bear Gulch Fire land use” or “Garnet Fire land.”
• Monitoring assessor records.

Support relief and keep digging.

Sources: NIFC, CAL FIRE, USDA Forest Service, KOMO News, MyNorthwest, Map of Fire, Weather.com, KTLA, BCWS, Newsweek, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, That Oregon Life, Visit Tuolumne, Tuolumne County, The Diggings, Junior Mining Network, MyMotherLode, Yale Climate Connections, Riverside County, U.S. Forest Service, Mindat.org, Lane County, CTIF, The Standard, AJG, X posts, X posts.

[](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/newsroom/releases/tunnel-creek-and-bear-gulch-fires-update)[](https://komonews.com/news/local/bear-gulch-fire-intensifies-after-day-of-high-temps-smoke-blankets-olympic-peninsula-lake-cushman-wildfire-season-high-heat-flames)[](https://mynorthwest.com/pacific-northwest-weather/bear-gulch-fire/4132939)