Highlights: Lightning started the White River and Irving Peak Fires on August 11. They are burning on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest, northwest of Plain, WA.
Today concludes Northwest Team 7’s 14 days on the White River and Irving Peak fires. Northwest Team 8, with Incident Commander Kevin Stock, will assume command of the fires at 8:00 p.m. on August 29.
Operations: Firefighters have completed preparations on the roads surrounding the White River Fire and along Little Wenatchee Road. They continue to patrol along White River Road and Sears Creek Road. Masticators are now working along the 200 and 311 road systems. Yesterday, the Irving Peak fire reached Forest Road 6504, creating an anchor point for firefighters. An anchor point is a barrier to fire spread and firefighters can now begin to clean up the fire’s edge along Forest Road 6504.
Evacuations: Current Chelan County evacuation levels include a Level 2 evacuation (Be Prepared) for Sears Creek Road and 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: Warming and drying continues today, drying fuels especially in higher terrain areas. Smoke may linger in some areas due to morning inversions and weaker winds. Smoky areas may be cooler than forecast. Where wind and slopes align, expect moderate fire spread.
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
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: Warming and drying weather can lead to fire growth and the potential for new starts. There is still at least another month of fire season ahead. Please use caution with anything that could cause a spark and continue to be safe and aware of your surroundings.
Smoke: The current smoke 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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