Little Giant Fire Tops 97,000 Acres With Red Flag Warning Still In Effect
Dry, windy conditions contributed to an expansion of the Little Giant fire in Chelan County on Friday.
The fire has reached an estimated 97,539 acres as of Saturday with 1% containment. The lightning-caused fire started July 15th
An incident management briefing on Saturday morning reported the fire activity increased on Friday evening in several locations.
Firefighters surged to multiple communities on the south side of the fire to increase structure protection measures. Similar weather conditions are expected all across the fire under a red flag warning posted until late Saturday evening, August 8th
Air support will be used today when possible, with both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in support of personnel on the ground.
The 500+ acre pot fire on the north shore of Lake Chelan has been holding, and crews continue to build containment lines down the Mitchell-Gold Ridge.
A specialized team staying on Lake Chelan is prepared to defend the boat-access-only cabins along Lake Chelan. Fire supervisors are also looking for additional areas for control lines on the north side of the fire, to the south and west of Lake Chelan, that could limit the fire’s advance southward.
Firefighters also worked Friday eastward from the Chiwawa River toward the Tyee Ridge. Hotshot crews are concentrating on ways to slow the fire’s spread to the south of Chickamin Creek.
Today's Red Flag Warning is out of concern over a weak cold front with northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts of 20 to 30 mph over the higher terrain. Increased humidity and lower daytime temperatures with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s will be helpful to firefighting efforts.
Evacuations: Level 1, 2, and 3 notices are available at this map
Red Cross Emergency Center locations are not currently staffed and are in standby mode. If someone needs emergency shelter, the locations are available upon request by phone.
- Entiat Warehouse Community Church, 14916 US-97A, in Entiat (509)784-2710
- Chelan Elementary School, 324 East Johnson Avenue, in Chelan (253)797-8788
The fire is burning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest within the Entiat-Chelan and Wenatchee River Ranger Districts. 1,849 structures are threatened, but none have been destroyed to date. Over 1,700 personnel are assigned to the Little Giant fire