Rush-hour drivers on northbound State Route 167 through Auburn had their Thursday commute thrown into disarray as multiple brush fires flared along the highway, shutting general-purpose lanes and tying up traffic in both directions. Fire crews zeroed in on problem spots near 15th Street Southwest and Fourth Street Southwest while smoke drifted across the roadway and cut down visibility, turning the corridor into a slow-moving slog.
Backups stacked up toward Sumner and Pacific as emergency units worked the scene and drivers inched past the action.
According to KOMO, the Washington State Department of Transportation said the SR 167 express toll lanes stayed open and were temporarily made available to all drivers moving through the impacted stretch, an effort to keep at least one route flowing while the general-purpose lanes were restricted…