Single Incident Information

The Easy Fire, burning in dense timber in the Methow Valley 20 air miles west of the Mazama community, was sparked by dry lightning storms on the evening of July 17, 2024. Crews responded and immediately reported explosive fire growth and running crown fire into the evening. Crews stayed on the fire overnight but weeks of extreme temperatures, record dry conditions, and dangerous terrain with no road access hampered initial response efforts.  

Firefighters will continue scouting terrain where containment lines would be effective at stopping any new growth on the Easy Fire. Since there are no existing roads or other natural features to limit fire spread, fire managers will use a combination of ground crews to put in containment lines and air resources to cool off hotspots with water. Steep terrain will likely limit the ability of air tanker pilots to safely fly the fire area even if retardant were effective in dense timber where typically, little if any retardant reaches the ground.