Single Publication

Start date: June 8, 2024  

Location: 31 miles northwest of Chelan, WA  

Containment: 14%  

Fire size: 18,731 acres  

Cause: Human caused, under investigation  

Total personnel: 786

Chelan County Sheriff's Office has issued a Level 1 Evacuation Advisory for the Stehekin Area. The affected area is Lake Chelan up Lake from Hazard Creek to High Bridge Ranger Station.  

The Pioneer Fire is burning within a mountainous and remote area on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Chelan. Firefighters are using a full suppression response in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness to protect values at risk, life, and property, with firefighter and public safety as the primary objective. The communities of Chelan, Manson, and Stehekin are open and continue to welcome visitors. 

Yesterday, fire crews worked on a 1.5-acre overnight slop-over to the north slope of Fish Creek. Helicopter bucket drops were being utilized through the morning but as fire behavior increased, multiple spot fires established further up drainage near Dan’s Camp trail. At that point, crews were forced to disengage and move to a safe location. The fire is now fully established on both sides of Fish Creek, prompting the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office to issue the Level 1 evacuation advisory for the Stehekin area. 

Point protection firing operations are being utilized in the area of active fire near Round Mountain and Moore Point. Recent operations to eliminate fuels between structures and the fire have been highly successful and plans for more operations are being considered as needed to protect homes and infrastructure. Hose lines, sprinklers, and fuel breaks are being installed in conjunction with firing operations to enhance point protection of structures and communities. No structures have been destroyed.

The WA Department of Natural Resources is offering a resource to landowners, “Financial Assistance for Wildfire Resilience and Forest Health.” Details may be found at: https://tinyurl.com/3d3p3vmh     

WEATHER AND SMOKE: The high-pressure ridge, which is bringing above-average temperatures and low humidity, will move out of the area on Tuesday. The air quality outlook can be found at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at smokeready.org. The fire marshal issued fire danger ratings and restrictions; see https://t.ly/WLBds for more information. 

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES: Level 1, 2, and 3 evacuation levels remain in effect around the Pioneer Fire; please visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for more information. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has a closure order in place for much of the fire area. Details and maps are available at: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure.   A Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the fire: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html.