Swakane Fire
Location: 6 mi N of Wenatchee, Chelan Co. WA
Specific Location: Swakane Canyon, Swakane Wildlife Area (State) Lat 47°34′32″ Lon 120°20′13″
Date of Origin: 07/07/2010
Cause: Under Investigation
Situation as of 07/15/2010 6:00 pm
Personnel: 404
Size: 19,746 acres
Percent Contained: 65%
Updated: Friday, 16 July 2010 at 8:25 am
Evacuation Advisement continues for 70 homes along Hwy 97A and the Level 2 Evacuation Advisement remains in effect for 3 residences in Swakane Canyon. New road closures are in place north of the fire area in the Mills Canyon area. Swakane Canyon is only open to local access. The fire is directly affecting nine miles along Hwy 97A.
Dry grass and brush are the most flammable fuels associated with this fire. Much of the timber is still too moist to burn, and is a natural barrier to progression of the fire. Firefighters will continue to secure the containment lines today. Burnout from containment lines has been hampered by green vegetation.
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Situation as of 07/12/2010 6:00 pm
Personnel: 404
Size: 19,746 acres
Percent Contained: 30%
Level 1 Evacuation Advisement continues for 70 homes along Hwy 97A and the Level 2 Evacuation Advisement remains in effect for 3 residences in Swakane Canyon. No homes have been lost, but a hay barn burned on July 10. Three road closures are in effect. Swakane Canyon is only open to local access. Caution is advised if traveling Highway 97A between Wenatchee and Entiat. The public is encouraged to use Hwy 97 on the east side of the river. More closure and evacuation information can be found at http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2014/
Yesterday there was significant fire behavior pushed by steady winds of 20 miles per hour. Gusts over 40 mph prevented use of helicopter support much of the day. All fire activity remained within the fire lines. Windy conditions are expected to decrease today. Crews will conduct burn out operations on the west side today and work to secure the north side.
