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Pioneer Fire Update for Tuesday, June 18, 2024

 CHELAN, Wash. — The Pioneer Fire is burning in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land.  

Fire activity remained moderate yesterday, and the fire is holding between Meadow Creek and Prince Creek. Green fuels and the northwesterly wind continued to slow northward progression of the fire.

Firefighters have completed structure protection prep work at Meadow Creek and continue to work at Moore Point.

Planning is underway to establish a spike camp at Stehekin, which will position resources to support activities to the north.

To the south, the fire is backing downslope into Prince Creek, with potential for spotting across the drainage where the ridge slopes down to the lakeshore. Structure protection prep work around Canoe Creek should be completed today. 

Due to the rugged terrain and lack of infrastructure within the wilderness, the fire is likely to continue burning for some time. Fire personnel are developing long-term suppression strategies for potential use later this summer.

An official closure of the Grade Creek (8200) Road is pending. Gates will be closed at Mitchell Creek, the junction of 8200 and 8020 roads near Gold Creek Road, and the junction of 117 and 8020 roads near Oss Peak. This will allow heavy equipment operations to work without disruption to improve the road and create a safe route for fire vehicles and equipment to approach the fire from the southeast. This work is expected to take about eight days.

Heavy equipment is also working to remove snow and reopen an old dozer line along the top of Coyote Ridge westward from Summer Blossom while hand crews build line down to the Lake Chelan shoreline.

Aviation resources logged 18.5 flight hours Sunday, transporting 103,000 gallons of water and 15,000 pounds of cargo in addition to reconnaissance flights and water drops along the north and south flanks. 

Temperatures will climb gradually through the end of the week, with highs reaching into the 80s. Tomorrow, winds will shift from the northwest to southeast, which may affect fire behavior.

A public meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, at the North Cascades National Park Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin, Wash. This meeting will not have a virtual option.

Smoke & Air Quality: Moderate smoke conditions are possible in Chelan, Manson, and Methow by the late afternoon with improvement overnight. Stehekin, Winthrop, and Twisp should see generally good air quality with most smoke staying to the south of those locations. Check current air quality conditions at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. 

EVACUATIONS: A Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation order is in place from just north of Moore Point south to Canoe Creek. Down lake: A Level 2 (Be Prepared) evacuation order has been issued down lake from Canoe Creek to Lone Fir Creek. A Level 1 (Stay Alert) order is in place from Lone Fir Creek down lake to Safety Harbor. Up lake: A Level 2 (Be Prepared) evacuation order is in place from just north of Moore Point to, and including, Flick Creek Campground. A Level 1 (Stay Alert) evacuation order is in place up lake from Flick Creek Campground to, and including, the Fourmile Creek camping area. Please visit County of Chelan, Washington for the most current information on evacuations.

Closures: A public safety closure order is in effect for the Lakeshore Trail from Prince Creek up lake to the Lakeshore Trailhead at Stehekin and portions of the Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness. Moore Point campground and the entire Lakeshore Trail are now closed. The closure includes Prince Creek, Cascade Creek, Moore Point, and Flick Creek (NPS) boat-in campgrounds. An interactive map of the Forest Service closure area can be found at https://arcg.is/0Wbivn.