In the City of Mountlake Terrace most recent City Happenings newsletter, they say that the Lake Ballinger Island is to be closed indefinitely.

A fire was accidentally started on the island back in August of 2009. The fire burned for several days as the island is made mostly of peat, which can smolder for days underground, even when nearly saturated. The fire burned most of the vegatation on the island and caused the island to be unsafe for pedestrians.

Dangerous conditions created by a fire on Ballinger Island last summer have caused the island to be closed indefinitely. The island has dangerous sinkholes, hazardous trees, and the ground is very unstable. “No Trespassing on Island” signs were posted on the island and along the shores of Lake Ballinger. The City of Edmonds also installed signage in their public right-of-way to alert their residents. The City of Mountlake Terrace will continue to evaluate the condition of Ballinger Island from a public safety standpoint and will make a determination later in 2010 on what steps to take regarding restoration of the island’s natural habitat.

Until then, Ballinger Island will remain closed to the public. If you see anyone accessing the island, please call 9-1-1 immediately.

We covered the fire extensively, so if you need to get caught up start here.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP1sGDxK5mU&feature=player_embedded