At about noon on July 26, 2013 a fire broke out on the lower elevations of Mount Si along 444th Ave SE. It was probably human-caused, and was named after after the road. Fire fighters had the advantage of using both the Boulder Garden loop and 444th Ave SE to get equipment in the fire area to control the blaze. The fire enveloped three prominent balds visible from the valley – Foundation Rock, BCD Vista and Moss Vista. The first two are rarely visited, but Moss Vista is the largest of the three and has a high overhanging wall with difficult rock climbing routes. The top of Moss Vista is also a popular Boulder Garden Loop side trip for picnics and views, at least for those who know it is there. It is marked on the Green Trails map but there are no signs along the maintained trails showing how to get to it. For the most part the fire burnt the understory and spared the crowns of most trees, so recovery should be relatively rapid.

Google Earth view showing extent of the burn area

• 2013/07/26 Wildfire breaks out on Mount Si
• 2013/07/26 Crews continue to fight wildfire on Mount Si
• 2013/07/26 Firefighters battling wildfire on Mt. Si near North Bend
• 2013/07/26 Wildfire burning at Mount Si as King County issues burn ban
• 2013/07/29 Mount Si wildfire is three-fourths contained, human-caused
• 2013/07/29 Recreation Update: Mount Si & Little Si open
• 2013/07/26 DNR, EFR, prison crews attack Mount Si’s ‘444 Fire’
• 2013/07/31 Wild fire to smolder for several days
• 2013/08/06 Garden Loop Trail closed indefinitely, fire fully contained, being patrolled
• 2013/11/06 Forest rebounds after fire