Pete O'Cain
World News Editor
Archive fire coverage
YAKIMA — A fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest grew from 20 acres to 160 acres as of Thursday as embers from the fire jumped outside fire lines.
WASHINGTON — Heading into the hottest and driest months of the wildfire season, the Department of the Interior is short hundreds of firefighters, a result of recruitment problems and the longest federal government shutdown in history.
The west facing hillside, at right, bordering the Broadview neighborhood is pretty much devoid of vegetation Wednesday, July 17, 2019, after 300 goats have eaten their way down the canyon in the last week. The goats, part of vegetation management to reduce potential wildfire fuel, will be moved out on Thursday, finished with their eating task.
Don Seabrook
Photo Editor
MATTAWA — A Grant County wildfire that threatened homes and farms near Mattawa is now 65 percent contained, authorities said.
The goats are being used to reduce fire fuels near the city's Broadview neighborhood.
Pete O'Cain
World News Editor
Updated, 12:15 p.m. Tuesday: ROYAL CITY — The Highway 243 Fire has grown to more than 5,000 acres and destroyed or damaged multiple outbuildings, officials say.
Pete O'Cain
World News Editor
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has laid the blame for out-of-control California wildfires on the state’s “gross mismanagement” of its forests. Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke pointed the finger at “environmental terrorist groups.”
EAST WENATCHEE — That smoke you saw near Fancher Heights Tuesday evening came from a training fire.
Reilly Kneedler
World staff writer
WENATCHEE — Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Hilary Franz is coming to Wenatchee on Monday to chat with journalists at The World.
SEATTLE — Washington’s wildfire seasons are arriving earlier, and that’s probably not good news for anyone hoping to avoid a repeat of the sun-choking smoke that has afflicted Seattle and much of the rest of the state for the last couple of summers.
ORONDO — It’s been nearly two weeks since a Pine Canyon Growers warehouse in Orondo caught fire — and the scorched remains have hardly been touched.
Updated, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday:
ENTIAT — All evacuation orders related to the Cougar Creek Fire have been lifted.
PLAIN — Gusty winds Wednesday evening on the Cougar Creek Fire created smoke columns visible from Plain and the Entiat River Valley.
Updated, 1:40 p.m. Friday: PLAIN — The Cougar Creek Fire is 50 percent contained, fire officials say.
OLYMPIA – Colville-based Vaagen Brothers Timber Company won the bid on the first Good Neighbor Authority restoration timber harvest.
PLAIN — Command of the Cougar Creek Fire burning between Plain and Entiat will transfer Wednesday evening to a smaller incident management team.
WENATCHEE — The siege of smoke lifted this weekend in the Wenatchee Valley, but may return if winds and rains die down.
LEAVENWORTH — Every morning, officials on the Cougar Creek Fire are issued a lengthy document called an Incident Action Plan that details the day’s operations. A former spokesman on the fire referred to it as their “Bible.”
LEAVENWORTH — Cougar Creek Fire-related evacuation in the Entiat area were downgraded Friday as fire crews, wind and weather reduced the threat to the communities east of the fire.
WENATCHEE — While smoke in the Wenatchee Valley continues to dissipate, residents are cautioned to keep an eye on air quality warnings and remain safe.
Updated, 2:35 p.m. Wednesday: NCW — The National Weather Service in Spokane issued a Red Flag Warning for Thursday in much of Eastern Washington, to include Chelan, Douglas and Grant counties.
NCW — Fire restrictions have been increased Tuesday in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
CHELAN COUNTY — The thick smoke over Chelan County signals difficult times for some local businesses.
Update, 12:25 p.m. Friday:
NCW — Target shooting is temporarily prohibited on Bureau of Land Management land in Eastern Washington, including Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties.
Update, 10:35 a.m. Thursday: ENTIAT — All evacuation levels at the Cougar Creek Fire were downgraded by one level at 10 a.m. Thursday and containment has increased.
WENATCHEE — It doesn't look like the smoke is going away anytime soon.
SOAP LAKE — Fire crews are responding to a wildfire a mile outside Soap Lake along Highway 28 milepost 55.
ENTIAT — The Cougar Creek Fire began burning more than two weeks ago after lightning strikes north of Entiat.
NCW — Air quality in the region has significantly improved from the past few days, though it still isn't back to "good."
NCW — Wildfire smoke pushed air quality into the "very unhealthy" and "hazardous" range across North Central Washington Monday.
ARDENVOIR — Aside from the splash of sprinklers and passing fire trucks, the upper Entiat River Valley was silent Monday morning.
WENATCHEE — Firehouse Pet Shop and Grooming and PetSmart are accepting donations of pet food and supplies for the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society's effort to help those affected by fires near the Entiat Valley.
WENATCHEE — Air quality in the region rose to a "very unhealthy" level Thursday as smoke from local wildfires cast a veil over the mountains.
Update, 7:30 p.m. Thursday:
WENATCHEE — An "excessive heat watch" is in effect this week as temperatures are expected to rise to about 104 degrees before cooling on Friday.
Updated, 11:50 a.m. Tuesday: ENTIAT — At noon Tuesday, Level 3 evacuations (leave now) are in effect for homes along Entiat River Road from Potato Creek to milepost 25 on both sides of the road, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.
Updated, 11:40 a.m. Tuesday: BRIDGEPORT — The Road P Fire between Bridgeport and Grand Coulee Dam is 100 percent contained, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
TWISP — The Gilbert Fire, burning about 21 miles west of Twisp, has grown to about 7,000 acres.
FISH LAKE — Fire crews are making an air attack on the new Lost Lake Fire, which was reported about 4 p.m. Sunday north of Maverick Saddle above Fish Lake.
NCW — Add target shooting to the list of things not to do in the forest.
WENATCHEE — Campfires are now banned in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Updated, 3:15 p.m. Wednesday: ENTIAT — As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Level 1 evacuation notices have been raised to Level 2 (get ready to leave) from Mad River Road to Entiat River Road milepost 24 on both sides of the roadway, according to Chelan County Emergency Management.
Updated, 5:10 p.m. Wednesday: CHELAN — Navarre Coulee Road was reopened in both directions about 5 p.m. Wednesday from the intersection of Highway 97/A near Knapps Tunnel to Lake Chelan State Park, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Updated, 8:50 a.m. Friday: ENTIAT — Driven by wind gusts of up to 40 mph and burning in heavy timber, the Cougar Creek Fire northwest of Entiat grew by more than 2,000 acres Thursday.
NCW — Meteorologists are forecasting wind gusts as high as 23 mph Wednesday with temperatures near 90 in North Central Washington.
