Highlights: Lightning started the White River and Irving Peak Fires on August 11. They are burning on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest, approximately 15 miles northwest of Plain, WA.
Operations: Yesterday, firefighters completed nine days of chipping operations and road preparation along 14 miles of the Little Wenatchee Road. Priority now will shift to dozer and mastication work along the 200 and 311 road systems. Firefighters north and east of White River are patrolling and prepared if the fire approaches the fire line. With heat buildup on the southeastern perimeter of the White River Fire, helicopters dropped buckets of water to keep fire spread to a minimum.
Today, air operations will monitor the increased fire activity along the southern edge of the White River Fire and apply water as needed. Crews will continue to hold and improve the White River Road, and continue work on the newer lightning fire at Grasshopper Meadow. Firefighters are beginning to retrieve equipment no longer necessary to support firefighting operations.
Evacuations: Current Chelan County’s evacuations levels include a Level 2 evacuation (Be Prepared) for Sears Creek Road, Level 1 (Stay Alert) for White River Road and Little Wenatchee Road. https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/emergency-management/pages/active-emergencies
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 and fire behavior: : High pressure building up in the region will bring warm and dry weather with light winds in the valley bottoms the next few days. Ridgetops will see variable winds across both fires.
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
Recreation impacts: In addition to the forest closure and fire restrictions, fire officials recommend avoiding recreating in the Little Wenatchee and White River Road (FS Roads 6500 and 6400) areas. Smoke is visible from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT remains open and is not directly impacted by the fires. However, the Little Wenatchee Ford and White River Trailheads are closed and cannot be used to access the PCT. The Buck Creek-Spider Meadow Loop is open and accessible but smoke and nearby fire activity may impact the area. Use the links below for updated fire and air quality information. Safety Message: : The past few days have seen cooler temperatures and pockets of moisture in the region. However, typical fire season weather is returning to the region. These conditions can lead to fire growth and the potential for new starts. It is important to stay alert. There is still at least another month of fire season ahead. Please be careful.
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/ | 
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