7/19/2021 Red Apple Fire Update

Cause: Undetermined; Acreage: 12,228; Containment: 83% 

Hand Crews: 6; Engines: 21; Helicopters: 1 Dozers: 3; Water Tenders: 2 

Total Personnel: 278

Structures Threatened: 400

Structures Damaged: 5

 Structures Destroyed: 0

Weather:

Last night the region experienced poor to fair relative humidity, which will lead to warm and dry conditions throughout the day. Temperatures will be in the upper 80’s and in the lower 90’s. This afternoon winds will increase out of the northwest, with gusts reaching 30 MPH and lasting into the overnight hours.

Current Situation:

Overnight, firefighters continued to make good progress on the fire.  Crews, engines, and dozers continued tactical patrolling and mop-up in the upper elevations to extinguish any hot spots. Yesterday’s firing operation off Forest Service Rd 111 to Burch Mountain was successful and added depth to reduce residual heat  near the fire perimeter. Crews remain engaged by patrolling for hot spots within the fire area.

Today, crews will continue to mop-up in the drainages and lower elevations. The upper elevations continue to be the most active due to the smoldering of large diameter trees and litter cast, which continues to be resistant to control. On the western perimeter of the fire, going out to Eagle Rock, crews will continue to mop-up and keep the fire within the existing containment lines. Fuels are exhibiting conditions that would not normally be seen until August because of unseasonably low winter precipitation. The objective for crews today is to ensure the fire maintains its existing footprint. Suppression repair will continue today, beginning at the gate off Burch Canyon Road to reduce erosion.

The Red Apple Fire started on Tuesday July 13 at 7pm. Crews from Chelan County, DNR and BLM engaged in initial attack using ground and air assets. The threats to Swakane and Warner Nahahum Canyons, as well as the radio infrastructure on Burch Mountain have significantly reduced, but with dry fuel and hot dry weather, hazardous conditions remain.  The California Interagency Incident Management Team 1 is managing the fire.

For More Information:

Inciweb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7667/

Email: 2021.redapple@firenet.gov

DNR Fire Dashboard: DNR Fire Dashboard (wa.gov)

For Evacuation Information: Chelan County Emergency Management - Home | Facebook

Fire Information Line: (206) 659-6472 (8 am to 9 pm daily)

Story Map: https://arcg.is/1DLWey