Little Giant Fire reaches nearly 23,000 acres

OKANOGAN-WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST —- The Little Giant has surpassed 20,000 acres as of Monday, July 27.

According to the latest update, 190 personnel are assigned to the fire, with two hand crews, one dozer, four engines and two water tenders. Infrared mapping estimates the fire at nearly 23,000 acres, spanning parts of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest under the Wenatchee River Ranger and Entiat-Chelan Ranger districts. A little over 450 structures are currently threatened.

According to fire officials, the majority of Sunday’s activity occurred on the northeast side, including west of Rampart Mountain and Garland Peak. Spot fires west of the Entiat River headwaters are burning in the 2015 Wolverine Fire footprint, where there is significant dead and down fuel. There has also been growth on the south side of the Chiwawa River valley.

The northern edge of the fire has had minimal growth, remaining in the Maple Creek area of the Chiwawa River Valley. According to officials, this has allowed firefighters to work with falling crews northward along Forest Service Road 6200, opening access to the north side of the fire. On the west side, rocks and scree in higher terrain have slowed the fire’s progress.

Officials said the south side of the Little Giant Fire remains a priority. Starting from the upper Entiat Valley and working south, firefighters are employing defensive tactics by increasing the defensible space around structures and covering assets in fire structure wrap, a special fire resistant material. The same tactics are being applied to Huckleberry Flat and Forest Service Roads 6209 and 6208 along the Lower Chiwawa River.

In the Chiwawa River Valley, officials said heavy equipment is continuing to improve the Community Protection Line (Forest Service Road 6300) in Big Meadow Creek toward Twin Lakes and Chiwawa Ridge. The line is almost complete.

For the Dirtyface Fire, firefighters have established a control line all the way around the fire. They will continue to patrol the fire’s edge to ensure no hot spots remain near the line.

The complex incident management team assigned to these fires, California Interagency Incident Management Team 2, is also coordinating with local fire resources on responding to any new wildfires if needed. Public Information Officers are also in the area to share information and updates.

According to officials, over 25,000 fire personnel have been assigned to ongoing incidents across the nation; of those, 55 percent are committed to the Pacific Northwest. Nearly 30 Complex Incident Management Teams are assigned nationwide. Due to the high commitment of firefighting resources, both the Pacific Northwest and the nation are at Preparedness Level 5, which is the highest level possible. 

The Chiwawa River Road (FS 6200) above Chikamin Creek Road (6210) and Phelps Creek Road (6211) are closed, as well as trails off the 6200 Road.

Latest information on current evacuation levels can be found on Chelan County Emergency Management’s Active Emergencies page, or by visiting its incident map.

As of July 27, all of the Trinity area to Twin Creek Road is under Level 3 evacuation (Get Out Now). A Level 2 (Be Prepared to Leave) advisory is issued for Twin Creek Road to Meadow Creek, including Goose Creek Flat. Meadow Creek to south of Fish Lake at Chiwawa Loop Road, including Pole Ridge, is under a Level 1 (Stay Alert) advisory. In Entiat Valley, a Level 2 is in place for Entiat Valley Road from the Entiat Sno-Park to Cottonwood, including Myrtle Lake Area. A Level 1 is in place for the Entiat Valley Road form the sno-park to Stormy Creek Road.

Breezy winds are expected to linger through Wednesday, resulting in elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions.

Lake Wenatchee Fire and Rescue has free N95 masks available for Plain and Lake Wenatchee residents impacted by smoke from the fire. They can be picked up at Station 91, 21696 Lake Wenatchee Highway. The fire district said it is also expecting a supply of box fans and air filters early next week.