CHELAN, Wash. — According to various fire agencies, the Chelan Hills Fire has been nearly completely contained.
County officials are offering a $25,000 reward to find the person who started the Chelan Hills Fire, which has burned over 9,735 acres and claimed one life.
The fire is 100% contained as of noon July 10, according to the Southeast Interagency Incident Management Team.
The fire started just after midnight on July 4 near mile marker 233 on U.S. Highway 97 in Orondo.
The sheriff’s office told KIRO 7 News they believe the fire was human-caused.
“We are treating it like a criminal investigation because of not only the damage to the landscape and property, but also the death of the individual,” said the sheriff’s office on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Douglas County announced that it will be offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the perpetrator.
Evacuations and resources
McNeil Canyon Road is now OPEN, and all evacuation notices, access restrictions, and road closures related to the Chelan Hills Fire have been lifted.
Click here to view the web page.
Destruction caused by the fire
On Monday, the sheriff confirmed that they found someone dead inside a truck after the person was reported missing.
The deputies found a vehicle that had slid off the roadway and was subsequently consumed by the fire. Human remains were discovered inside the vehicle.
According to the sheriff, 19 homes have burned.
KIRO 7 has spoken to several families who’ve lost everything.
Mike and Kelly Noffsinger are one of those families. They lost their home as the fire spread up the canyon, according to an online fundraiser. Now the family is turning to the community, hoping to raise money for basics while they navigate insurance paperwork.
Another fundraiser, started on behalf of the Gilpin family, noted that in “a matter of hours, years of memories, cherished belongings, and the place they called home were gone.”
The family is now living in a travel trailer.
Owen and Madison Joga also lost their home. The couple had just moved into their dream house about five weeks ago.
“It was peace, and it was quiet, and it was wonderful, and it was ours,” she said. “Now, it is just black, scorched earth, and there is absolutely nothing standing on it,” they told KIRO 7.
This story will be updated as information is released. Find the most up-to-date information from the Southeast Washington Interagency Incident Management Team here.
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