History

History of Yacolt

https://www.historylink.org/File/9329

The Yacolt Burn began September 8, 1902 and quickly traveled 30 miles in 36 hours, burning 238,920 acres along the way. The total burn was eventually estimated to be 500,000 acres. It came close enough to the Town of Yacolt to blister the paint on 15 buildings, but the wind carried it away from town, towards the Lewis River where the fire burned itself out. It remained the largest wild fire in Washington State history, until 2014

In 1908 the Town of Yacolt was incorporated, after a flux of workers and families moved to Yacolt to support the huge timber salvaging project, resulting from the wildfire. Many family names from the early days are still recognizable around town.