Lightening kindles new fire starts around Lake Chelan and national forest

1 hour ago
2 min read

Kinsey Fire, north of Wapato Lake, in Manson. Photo courtesy: Manson Fire.

Firefighters continue responding to reports of holdover lightning fires from recent storms. More than a half dozen fires were kindled over the past weekend.

With forest fuels extremely dry, firefighters say any new lightning will be highly effective at starting additional fires. Chelan, Manson, Entiat and other firefighters continue scouting for and addressing any new starts as conditions evolve.

"It's been a busy weekend," said Manson Interim Fire Chief Mike Williams. "All of them were mother nature caused by lightening. The biggest one was on Kinsey Road and Upper Joe (Creek) Road in Manson. It ended up being 12 acres. Our crews got on it really quick."

Williams said a fire on the south shore of Lake Chelan along Robison Lane, up lake from 25 Mile Creek State Park was quickly put out Sunday morning.

Additional fires north of Wapato Lake and northeast of Chelan, were kept small.

"We do have a summer seasonal crew that's on during the day and able to get out there very quick," said Williams in giving attribution to the fast response of firefighters to dousing the fires before they could take off. "We're always on the ready."

"It's still high fire danger out there, we still have a couple more months of wildland (fire) season," added the chief. "You won't see things calming down until October and then we also have the predictions that's it's going to be a very, really dry winter."

"People still need to be aware," cautioned Williams. "Need to watch out for smoke and call it in immediately. The sooner we know the faster we get on the fire and get it out."

The Washington Fire, just south of the Okanogan, Chelan county line was last reported at 30 acres. The Stormy Mountain Fire was stopped at 6 acres.

East of Stehekin, the Sisi Fire, in northwest Chelan County, has burned an estimated 801 acres as of Monday morning. Firefighters are working to protect historic heritage sites, natural and cultural resources, the Pacific Crest Trail, Stehekin Airport and the Company Creek Hydro Plant.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest says on the Chelan Ranger District:

The Little Giant Fire, at 144,832 acres as of Monday morning, has become the largest wildfire to burn entirely within in Chelan County borders. The lightning-caused fire started burning July 15 and to-date has surpassed the size of the Tyee Creek Fire of 1994, which burned 135,000 acres in the Entiat Valley.