8/22/2022 White River and Irving Peak Fires Update

Contact Fire Information at (509) 202-4184 from 8AM-8PM White River and Irving Peak Fire Update August 22, 2022 -- 9:00 AM   White River Fire Acres: 960 | Contained: 1% Cause: Lightning Location: Sears Creek area of the White River drainage, approximately 14 miles northwest of Plain, WA Quick Facts: : Personnel: 528 Crews: 14 Helicopters: 5 Engines: 20 Dozers: 1 Water Tenders:    Irving Peak Fire Acres: 1057 | Contained: 1% Cause: Lightning Location: Approximately 16 miles northwest of Plain, WA Quick Facts: Personnel: 58 Crews: 3 Dozer: 1 Highlights: The White River and Irving Peak Fires were started by lightning on August 11 and are burning on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest, approximately 15 miles northwest of Plain, WA. Operations: The Irving Peak Fire was active yesterday, primarily moving east along Wenatchee Ridge from the influence of westerly winds. The fire is slowly backing down the slope toward Forest Road 6500. Firefighters are working on and near the 6500, connecting a hand line and a dozer line below the fire’s edge on Forest Road 6504. Scooper planes and helicopters dropped water on the Irving Peak Fire to moderate fire spread and will continue this work today. Chipping and brushing will continue along the roads to the east and south of the White River Fire. Evacuations: Chelan County Sheriff's office has issued a Level 3 evacuation (Go Now) for Sears Creek Road, White River Road is at a Level 2 (Be Prepared), and Little Wenatchee Road is at a Level 1 (Stay Alert). Emergency personnel are in the process of advising residents in the area. Residents of five homes were evacuated from the Sears Creek Area. For an interactive evacuation map of Chelan County, please visit https://tinyurl.com/whiteriverevacuationmap. To sign up for the Chelan County emergency alert system, please visit https://public.alertsense.com/signup/?regionid=1184. Weather: Today’s weather is expected to be a bit cooler with some afternoon sun and clouds. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the region is possible this afternoon. Variable winds are expected to increase later in the day. Fire Behavior: Fire activity on the Irving Peak Fire is expected to increase today. The continued warm and dry weather and changing wind directions are expected to increase fire behavior. Fire activity along the White River Fire is expected to be lower today. Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued a closure order for the White River Fire area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1054295.pdf Additionally, it is recommended to avoid recreating in the Little Wenatchee and White River Road (FS Roads 6500 and 6400) areas. Restrictions: Campfires are not allowed anywhere within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Stage 2 Restrictions are now in effect for the entire forest, including campgrounds and wilderness areas: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fsbdev3_053600 Pacific Crest Trail: Smoke is visible from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). While there is currently no impact to the PCT, hikers should be aware that Little Wenatchee Ford and White River Trailheads are closed and cannot be used to access the PCT.   Safety Message: Firefighter crews and equipment are busy in and around the fire area. Helicopters and water-scooping aircraft are periodically active on Lake Wenatchee. Be prepared to clear areas of the lake and stay close to shore when scooper aircraft are operating. Please avoid all areas where people and equipment are working. Be cautious and continue to do all you can to prevent wildfires. Smoke: The current smoke forecast outlook, along with information about air quality health recommendations during smoky conditions, is available at:  https://outlooks.airfire.org/outlook/84d849be Follow Us Online: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8329/ and www.facebook.com/WhiteRiverFireInfo and www.facebook.com/nwteam7 A Spanish translation available will be available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/news/8329/ Irving Peak Fire August 20, 2022.