Wenatchee Complex Fire UPDATE - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

KHQ.COM - The latest update on the Wenatchee Complex Fire is that it is about 30% contained and so far has burned an estimated 42,000 acres. Growth potential remains high. The latest press release issued can be read below:

Press Release:

Effective 12:00 pm Saturday, the Chelan County Sheriff restricted access to roads in the Colockum Ridge area to local traffic only.  These roads include the Stemilt Loop Road from Upper Wheeler Road to just north of and including Jump-Off Ridge Road and Colockum Road at Tarpiscan Road. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources closed state lands accessed by these roads earlier in the week due to the movement of the Table Mountain Fire.

   At 8:00 PM Saturday the Chelan County Sheriff's Office reduced the evacuation levels for Sky Meadows, Brisky Canyon Road including Foltz and Corrigan Road, and the Camas Meadows Area to a Level1 because of the decreased risk from the Poison Fire.

  Up-to-date evacuation levels under the jurisdiction of the Chelan County Sheriff can be found at: www.inciweb.org/incident/announcements/3258/, and are broadcast by local radio stations.

  A red flag warning issued for Saturday morning through Sunday morning was dropped Saturday afternoon. No lightning was detected over the Wenatchee Complex. 

In spite of the high wind gusts last night most of the fire activity was described by the fire managers as light. Overnight crews patrolled and extinguished hot spots on the Poison fire as well as the Peavine fire below Mission Ridge. Firefighters made great progress again Saturday, and most of the fires within the Complex saw little to no growth.

Crews have almost completed rehabilitation efforts on the Byrd Canyon and Canyon fires and mop up operations on the First Creek. Progress on the Maverick and Poison fires is going well. The Peavine Fire has become the top priority fire with in the complex. Crews and equipment are being deployed today and if the weather conditions are favorable aerial ignition operations will be conducted to bring fire slowly down from Tronsen ridge to Highway 97. Intermittent closures may occur today as the fire encroaches on the roadway. The Table Mountain Fire continues to burn along Mission Ridge and helicopters were used Saturday to check the spread and cool hot spots along the ridgeline.   

With the passing of the threat of dry lightning and the progress made over the last couple of days, fire managers are releasing some resources to make them available for other wildland fires in the area.

The Klone Fire is approximately 1,071 acres.  It continues to burn in heavy timber that has been affected by insects and disease. Structure protection remains in place, helicopters were used Saturday to lower the intensity of the fire and reduce the rate of spread. Crews completed almost 12 miles of brushing along Shady Pass and Tommy Creek Roads and started chipping the material yesterday. This will provide a fuel break on the north and south flanks of the fire and serve as a fire break should future fires occur in the area.

The Maverick Fire is approximately 30 acres. Crews completed mop up operations Saturday and the fire will be patrolled today from the air.

The Canyon Fire, directly west of Wenatchee, and the Byrd Canyon Fire, located just north of Entiat, are both 90% contained. These fires continue to be in patrol status, and crews began to rehab portions of the fire line Saturday.  The Canyon Fire is estimated to be 7,539 acres in size. The Byrd Canyon Fire is estimated to be 14,160 acres.

The Peavine Canyon Fire, located southwest of Wenatchee in upper Mission Creek/Devils Gulch, is burning in shrub and pine forest. It is now 7,882 acres in size and 30% contained. Managers from both Complexes have developed a plan to check the spread of the Table Mountain fire along the eastern flank and use of a burn out operation along Highway 97 on the western flank. Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) managed traffic flow with the use of a pilot car Saturday. Fire activity may restrict Highway 97 intermittently over the next few days. Please monitor WSDOT web site for the most current information.

The Poison Canyon Fire, located south of Cashmere, is burning in shrub and pine. Crews are actively mopping up these control lines and will begin fire line re-hab in the next day or two. The fire is now approximately 5,991 acres and is 60% contained. 

The First Creek Fire, located 10 miles west of Lake Chelan in Chelan County, is approximately 1,258 acres and 80% contained.  It is burning in very difficult and steep terrain. Active mop up has begun and crews are preparing to start fire line re-hab. 

The Pyramid Fire north of Entiat is now 544 acres in size. The fire continues to move slowly down slope and is under aerial monitoring.

The Basalt Fire, approximately 10 miles north of Lake Wenatchee in the Chiwawa drainage is approximately 140 acres in size, and is being monitored from the air. 

The 180-acre Sears Creek Fire, located in the White River drainage above Lake Wenatchee, is slowly backing downhill. Crews will continue to prepare the road on the west side of the White River to serve as a fire line and focus on structure protection.

The Cashmere Mountain Fire, approximately 754 acres, is within the perimeters of the 1994 Rat and Hatchery fires. A spot fire was detected Saturday across Eight mile creek. Crews will attempt to begin fire line construction today with support of aerial resources. It does not pose a danger to structures at this time.

The area is extremely dry and conditions are right for rapid fire growth on existing fires and new fire starts. There is an eastern Washington burn ban prohibiting all outdoor burning, including but not limited to campfires, bonfires, residential yard burning, agricultural burning and fireworks.

The Incident Management Team would like to express appreciation to the community for your support and help in our efforts to suppress these fires.  It is vital that the community cooperate with evacuations, road closures, and avoiding areas of high traffic for fire suppression. Please slow down and turn your headlights on when traveling through fire areas as very smoky conditions reduce visibility.