CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — At its largest, fires in Chelan County grew to 135,000 acres, but weeks after lightning-sparked flames it's down to 92,500 acres.
The deputy commander said they had turned a corner on Saturday with fires in Chelan County. Despite moving a lot of firefighters and equipment out of potentially dangerous fire areas, the fires behaved.
Blazes surrounding Lake Chelan have destroyed more than 30 structures. The Chelan Complex Fire and smaller wildfires have caused devastating damage since Friday, August 14.
Scroll down for evacuation information.
QUICK FACTS:
- Multiple fires burned into one, called Chelan Complex Fire
- Smaller wildfires countine to burn
- 40 residences confirmed lost; 28 outbuildings
- Hot, dry weather factor in blaze
QUICK RESOURCES:
- MAP: Where Wolverine and Chelan Complex fires burn
- SOCIAL: Chelan County Emergency Management updates on Facebook
- CALL: Anyone impacted and needs assistance can call 509-670-5331
- KIRO 7 ALERTS: Sign up to get breaking updates
- PHOTOS: See the devestation in this gallery
Where are the fires?
In Chelan, four fires continue to burn.
- Chelan Complex Fire and Black Canyon: A few fires burned together, creating the Chelan Complex Fire. It includes what was first called the Reach Fire, which started as five small lightning fires that grew together. The Black Canyon, McFarlang Creek, Antoine Fire -- near Washington Butte -- and the Cagle fire, are also part of the renamed complex. It is east of Lake Chelan.
- First Creek Fire: This fire is located on the south-western end of Lake Chelan.
- Wolverine Fire: Firefighters have been working the Wolverine Creek fire near Lake Chelan, which started June 29 from lightning in remote timber and grass on the west side of the lake. It is near Domke Lake Resort along the north-western side of the lake.
- Blanketship Fire: This fire burned in the northwestern corner of the county near South Fork Agnes Creek.
Together, fires burning in Chelan reach across 92,000 as of Monday.
How were the fires started?
Hot, dry weather encouraged the Wolverine Fire's growth since June, when it was sparked by by lightning June 29.
>> PHOTOS: Lightning sparks new wildfires in Chelan
Where have evacuations been ordered?
Fire officials said on the morning of August 17 that around 2,000 people were under level three evacuations; around 500 people were on level two. Level three evacuations have dropped.
As of Monday, no level 3 evacuations are in effect.
Areas with Level 2 evacuation orders in Chelan County -- as of Monday:
- Entiat River Rd starting at approximately mile post 21.5 (Brief) up to the end of the end of the Entiat River Rd
Areas with Level 1 evacuation orders in Chelan County -- as of Monday:
- First Creek Rd.
- South Shore from Morning Sun Dr. to Shady Pass --- keep your speeds down and watch for fire personnel.
- Entiat River Rd. from Potato Creek to Brief
- 8 cabins below Cottonwood Campground (Up the Entiat River Rd.)
For more on fire information, reference, evacuations, and road closures call 509-667-6863.
The following map has locations where the fires are burning. If the map asks you to sign in, click cancel twice, and it will redirect you accordingly. See the full interactive map here.
Where are shelters?
As of Monday morning, Red Cross shelters were open at the following locations:
- MOE Elementary, 407 E. Woodin, Chelan
- Sterling Middle School, 600 N. James, East Wenatchee
- Brewster Middle/High School, 503 S. 7th St., Brewster
Who's been affected by the fires?
Smoke is clearing out in Chelan, where the town is usually buzzing with tourists. Business owners are hurting.
Four-hundred homes were at risk in Union Valley. Thirty-two homes were confirmed lost, and that number is expected to rise.
Officials say no civilian injuries or deaths have been reported at the wildfires.
Dozens of homes on what's called the south shore of Lake Chelan were destroyed by fire. Tom Hickey knew his house on the hill was gone, but he also knew his business had a fighting chance.
Hickey says he has $300,000 invested in his only source of income-- marijuana grow operation. KIRO 7 News rode along in the back of his pickup with his friend and neighbor john Parker as he climbed this burnt out mountainside to save it.
Getting water up here is a trip," Tom explained, waiting on the dirt road that leads to his operation as firefighters cleared stumps.
Parker lost his house, too.
“All your memorabilia from hiking, stuff I found in the woods was everywhere — it was home,” John said, looking from where Tom’s plants are across to the next hillside.
The flames come in the midst of the summer tourist season in the scenic town located along Lake Chelan in the Cascade Range. The fires also threaten apple orchards and packing warehouses in the heart of the state's apple belt during what has been a summer of drought in the Northwest.
One of the largest fruit packing and processing plants in the world burned almost to the ground in this massive fire, leaving hundreds of workers wondering what’s next for them.
"My grandfather is part of this operation, my dad, my brother used to be part of it," explained Dave Lewman, who works in quality control. We met him as he was walking along the row of Chelan Fruit Incorporated buildings, or rather what's left of them.
Dave says when the fruit processing and packaging plant burned, his whole family felt it. As its largest employe, Lewman says this Valley staple has nearly a thousand workers and hundreds of growers.
A Wenatchee bed and breakfast helped a couple marry Saturday, when wildfires burning in the area interrupted their plans.
The bride and groom expressed deep gratitude for Julie Szmania, who runs Warm Springs Inn Bed and Breakfast with her husband.
The inn helped the two host their wedding ceremony on Saturday in the yard.
Are resources thinning?
Governor Jay Inslee visited Chelan before travelling to meet firefighters on the lines on Thursday.
"They know they're in danger and this danger is persistent," Inslee said. "This is not just a local fire, it's a statewide slow-motion disaster."
The fires have put a heavy strain on resources. National Guard troops set controlled burns outside Chelan to use up fuel as helicopters dropped water. More than 1,000 people worked to protect homes from the lightning-sparked blazes
"Nationally, the system is pretty tapped," said Rob Allen, the deputy incident commander for the fires around the Cascade Mountain resort town of Chelan. "Everything is being used right now, so competition for resources is fierce."
The active-duty troops are all coming from the 17th Field Artillery Brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma and will be sent to a fire north of Republic, a town in central Washington, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border.
Some firefighters have suffered minor injuries. Officials report as working the blazes are an honor for firefighters, they are still tired.
The firefighters sleep in the woods, get up every morning and work a full day, said Allen, the deputy incident commander.
"It's hot. It's dirty," said Allen, who usually works for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. He said authorities were looking for all the resources they could muster.
Canada has loaned resources, and authorities were also talking to New Zealand and Australia.
As of Monday, Chelan County officials said resources are too thin to put containment lines on all fires – so the focus is on protecting structures.
Before the Chelan fires were caused last week, The Associated Press reported wildfires raging in other states have pulled Washington firefighters and air resources to those states. The number of human-caused fires continues to rise through a record-breaking summer of drought and high temperatures.
As of Aug. 11, there have been 751 fires on Department of Natural Resources-protected lands, with 628 of them caused by human activity. By this time last year, the state had seen 565 fires, with 455 of those human caused.
Several resources have been mobilized to assist in the firefighting effort over the weekend and Monday, including teams from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, State Fire Marshal, and Army National Guard.
KIRO 7 officials if the worst is behind us, to which we were told, "A lot of it depends on what kind of success we have today [Monday]."
Meanwhile, the Washington National Guard joined the firefighting effort after a request for assistance from the Washington Department of Natural Resources.
Two Black Hawk helicopters arrived Friday and five 20-person hand crews arrived Sunday evening to join 350 firefighters battling one of the state's most active fires, Cougar Creek, on the southeastern slopes of Mount Adams.
"The Guard's help now is vital," said Mary Verner, Washington state DNR's deputy for wildfire.
"We've been expecting another devastating wildfire season, and have had our personnel and equipment ready so we can get them out the door the moment we're asked for help," said Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, commander of the Washington National Guard.
Icicle ridge fire
Another fire on Friday was the result of the lightning was in the Icicle drainage where a small, yet very visible wildfire burned near the top of Icicle ridge. The fire was located high on top of the ridge which separates the Tumwater Canyon and the Icicle drainage, according to the Forest Service.
Crews responded to the fire and aerial resources were requested. There was no threat to structures or areas in the Leavenworth area and the fire was located only on national forest land. No evacuations were issued.
A temporary trail closure was in effect for firefighter and public safety in the Icicle Ridge area.
A Level 3 evacuation notice was in effect for the entire town of Chelan Falls.
KIRO
