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White River and Irving Peak Fires Update August 23, 2022
White River (& Irving Peak)
Publication Type: News 08/23/2022
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: Firefighters are making progress along Forest Road 6504 connecting the dozer line with the handline along the southeastern edge of the Irving Peak Fire. Crews will continue chipping and brushing there. Three masticators are also operating on Forest Road 6504 grinding trees and brush into smaller pieces, greatly increasing the rate of firefighters’ work. Chipping work continues on Sears Creek Road, and has finished on Windmill Lane southeast 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 will have a bit more humidity and moisture. As the day warms up, there is an increased chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon.
Fire Behavior: Conditions will still support fire spread, but winds will be light and will not drive significant growth. With the lack of stronger winds, fire behavior will be terrain driven rather than wind driven. There is still the potential for pockets of active fire behavior on both the White River and Irving Peak fires as they are burning in dry timber litter.
Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued a closure order for the White River Fire area: https://www.fs.usda.gov/.../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/...
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/nwteam7A Spanish translation available will be available at: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/news/8329/