More than 100 homes evacuated in Lake Chelan due to wildfire
Aug 18, 2021, 5:01 AM | Updated: 9:02 am
Wildfire smoke near Lake Chelan. (Photo courtesy of Barb Simeona)
(Photo courtesy of Barb Simeona)
More than 100 homes remain evacuated along the south shore of Lake Chelan because of a wildfire — named the Twentyfive Mile Fire — that’s taken out at least one structure since it started on Sunday.
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The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and Chelan County Emergency Management Facebook pages have current evacuation information. Find more updates on the Twentyfive Mile Fire online here.
This marks the second time in just over a month that a state of emergency has been declared in Chelan County in response to a wildfire.
In the Okanogan Valley, the town of Conconully is threatened and most people have cleared out. Fifty miles to the northeast, more homes and cabins are evacuated in the Walker Lake area.
Highway 20 in the North Cascades is back open, but with reduced speed due to fire activity. It could be closed again on short notice if fire conditions change. Travelers should expect longer than normal travel times. Check the state Department of Transportation’s travel alerts page for current information.
Elsewhere, new evacuations were ordered Tuesday near Yakima because of the Schneider Springs Fire.
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At the end of July, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz addressed a troubling early start to the state’s wildfire season.
While Washington typically sees numerous fires during the dry, hot parts of the summer months, Franz warned that “this year is quite notably different,” thanks to record-breaking temperatures and an “unprecedented” drought for nearly the entire state. The end result has been what she described as “an early and alarming start to the fire season.”
The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.
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