Warm temperatures caused a partial collapse of the Seattle area鈥檚 popular Big Four Ice Caves on Monday, leaving one hiker dead, .
The ice caves are located in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 70 miles northeast of Seattle, and formed by avalanches off the nearby Big Four Mountain. Unusually warm weather increased the risk of cave collapses in recent months. 鈥淎s we head into the busiest and warmest part of the season, the cave is in its most dangerous state,鈥 Lead Field Ranger Matthew Riggen 聽in May. 鈥淭he cave is in a condition that we would normally not see until at least September鈥攍arge, inviting, and collapsing.鈥
The body of the deceased, who has not been identified, has not been recovered because of dangerous search-and-rescue conditions, . The five injured鈥攖hree adults and two children鈥攚ere hospitalized, and one remains in intensive care.
The area will remain closed indefinitely.
Watch: This collapse at the Big Four Ice Caves聽happened the day before the collapse that killed one hiker and injured five others.