Little Giant hits ridge of Stormy Mountain

Little Giant Fire Operations Section Chief Don Fregulia, at information briefing in Entiat, Aug. 27.

Cooler weather and increased wind on the Little Giant Fire Thursday, and a stark reminder of what weather and terrain in the Chelan and Wenatchee valleys and the Glacier Peaks Wilderness can do with wildfire.

“We’ve had some events that have put us on our heels a bit,” said Operations Fire Chief Don Fregulia, at a information briefing Thursday night in Entiat  when describing the interior of the fire burning at Stormy Mountain.

“Active fire came out of a drainage confluence,” Fregulia shared. “It was unsafe, we tried to put crews in there and they tried to buy us time, but it (the fire) did finally come out.”

That prompted Chelan County Emergency Management to issue a “get out now” evacuation advisory for Mud Creek Road to Shady Pass Road, 1st Creek and Granite Falls Road.  

“Finally, we were ahead of it but unfortunately we did get a couple of spots over the ridge,” the chief said at the briefing. “We’re attacking those right now with all of the crews that are out there. We do not expect this fire to come off the hill and run into the lake or anything like that, and we’re going to try to park it right where it’s at. That will be all hands on deck. That will continue to be the priority on this fire.”

The newest evacuation advisories can be seen on the Chelan County Emergency Management website and Facebook page.

More favorable fire weather is forecast Friday and over the weekend, with continued cool temperatures and a north, northwest wind.