Fire Terms

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

8/25/2021 Twenty-Five Mile Fire Update

Yesterday, a community meeting was held to announce the evacuation level has been downgraded to Level 2 for South Lake Shore Drive starting from the Sherriff’s checkpoint at milepost 3 going north. Access to the area continues to be for residents and property owners only. 25 Mile State Park and Fields Point Landing remain closed to the public and the status will continue to be evaluated daily.

 
Crews completed a containment line from Grouse Mountain west to Junior Point and from Junior Point to DP 50. Heavy equipment and crews continued to prepare lines to the south near Slide Ridge in anticipation for strategic firing operations when weather and fuel conditions align. Crews maintained an overnight shift, reinforcing structure protection operations in and around properties and homes.
 
Today, fire behavior is expected to increase as the warmer weather dries fuels out. Heavy equipment and crews will continue to construct line from 125 RD to the finger. Along the southern and western edges of the fire crews will continue to prepare for strategic firing operations specifically looking at areas to the south of the fire near Slide Ridge and west towards Devils Backbone. On the northern perimeter of the fire, crews are improving the line working south towards Angle Peak.
 
Rotor and fixed-wing air resources will continue working on the fire throughout the day and improved weather conditions make the use of aviation assets more likely today. Aircraft may use local bodies of water, including Lake Chelan. Recreational boaters should be aware of aircraft takeoff and landings and keep a safe distance.
 
The Twentyfive Mile Fire was first reported at 3:45 p.m. on August 15, 2021. The fire was initially burning on the south shore of Lake Chelan near Twentyfive Mile Creek and has expanded south and west of the area. The fire is under joint jurisdiction of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Land Management and Chelan County Fire District 7.
 
Weather: There is no anticipated rain in the forecast for the next week. Today temperatures are expected to be cooler with South to Northwest/West winds gusting 20-30 mph. The early evening there is potential for cloud cover.
 
Evacuations: The most up-to-date evacuation information is available through Chelan County Emergency Management at the following links. The Chelan County Sherriff will update evacuation levels as conditions warrant.
 
 
Level 3 (Go Now) evacuations for Granite Falls Road and First Creek Road.
 
Level 2 (Get Set) Slide Ridge to the end of the road (up lake).
 
Level 1 (Get Ready) South Lakeshore Road south of Slide Ridge.
 
Closures: A forest area closure has been issued in the Twentyfive Mile Creek area. Maps of the closure area are available here. All roads in the Level 3 area are closed to the general public including Lakeshore Road. Residents are asked to avoid travel on open areas of Lakeshore Road to make way for firefighting personnel and equipment.
 
Smoke Information: Lower temperatures are creating clearer skies, however, smoke and haze may develop later in the afternoon. Visit https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ for local air quality information.
 
Fire Restrictions: Campfire restrictions are in effect. Campfires are prohibited throughout the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, including developed campgrounds and congressionally designated Wilderness. Please contact local ranger district offices for more information. https://tinyurl.com/yby4oysq

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