Numerous Small Fires Still Burning On Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat’l Forest

While the Lower Sugarloaf, Wildcat, and Labor Mountain Fires have all blackened thousands of acres on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, nearly a dozen other blazes that are much smaller are also still burning in region.

The Tower Fire has torched approximately three acres near Icicle Ridge about six miles southwest of Leavenworth on the Wenatchee River Ranger District, where crews also continue to monitor the Mission Ridge Fire for hot spots.

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To the north, there are four fires that are all less than an acre in size which are burning on the Methow Valley Ranger District, including the Canyon Creek Fire in the Pasayten Wilderness 27 miles northwest of Mazama; the Gilbert Mountain Fire 23 miles northwest of Twisp; the Jim Pass Fire 28 miles northwest of Mazama; and the Skagit Peak Fire in the Pasayten Wilderness about four miles east of Ross Lake.

The Canyon Creek and Jim Pass are currently being worked by teams of rappelers, while the Gilbert Mountain and Skagit Peak are both being monitored after displaying little to no activity in recent days.

Two blazes also remain active on the Cle Elum Ranger District, including the three-acre Huckleberry Fire located 19 miles north of Cle Elum, and Polallie Fire which is one-quarter of an acre and is burning near Waptus Pass in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness about 21 miles northwest of Cle Elum.

Teams of smokejumpers and rappelers are currently working both blazes to bring them under control.

Crews have also fully controlled or extinguished five other fires on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest since the beginning of the week, including the DIrty Face Fire 18 miles northwest of Leavenworth that burned four acres; the Dickey and Scramble Fires near Mazama; and the Box Ridge and French Cabin Creek Fires near Cle Elum.

The U.S. Forest Service says most, if not all of the fires were ignited by lightning strikes in the forest over the past few weeks.