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Plain, WA – Lightning started the White River and Irving Peak Fires on August 11. The fires are burning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, northwest of Plain, WA.  

Suppression Strategy – Fire managers continue to implement a long-term strategy including the use of primary and contingency perimeter lines for containment. Tactics include completion and reinforcement of fire lines using roads and hand line. 

Operations – Over the next two days, NW Team 8 will be transitioning both fires to a local type 3 team. The incoming team will shadow today with a plan to take command of the fire tomorrow at 7 a.m. Firefighters will actively manage both fires over the coming weeks with a long-term strategy in place. Smoke may be visible over the next several weeks as remaining interior fuels continue to smolder and burn out. With moderating fire behavior, fire updates have transitioned to every other day meaning there will be no update tomorrow. Daily updates may resume if a change in fire activity occurs. 

White River Fire - Acres: 1,522; 1% contained 

Location: Sears Creek area of the White River drainage, approximately 14 miles NW of Plain, WA. 

A cold front will be exiting the area today and bringing slightly warmer temperatures and breezy winds out of the northwest. These conditions could cause interior burning and smoke throughout the fire. The southeastern corner has been the most active and has backed down and stopped at containment lines. Firefighters will finish backhauling excess equipment and continuing to monitor spread. 

Irving Peak Fire - Acres: 3,018; 7% contained 

Location: Approximately 16 miles NW of Plain, WA 

The Irving Peak Fire saw little growth over the last two days. The fire has been most active on the eastern edge in the Ninemile Creek drainage with crews reporting mostly creeping, smoldering and backing. Today, firefighters will be snagging along roads and containment lines and will continue to monitor fire behavior and spread utilizing ground and aerial resources. 

Weather and Fire Behavior – The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Wednesday, September 7th, 2022, for poor relative humidity and gusty winds. 

A high-pressure system will move back into the region bringing higher temperatures and lower relative humidity. Winds will subside today but will pick up Wednesday morning. Temperatures over the next couple days could reach the mid-80’s and relative humidity could drop into the high teens. 

Air quality and smoke outlook – Smoke from multiple wildfires in northern California and Oregon are moving north into the area adding to the smoke generated from local fires. Smoke levels in the Lake Wenatchee area have a likely to increase throughout the day. The current smoke outlook, along with information about air quality health recommendations during smoky conditions, is available on the Washington Smoke Blog https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/ 

Closures – Several road and area closures are in place for the safety of firefighters and the public. Fire managers are asking people to please respect these closures while recreating in the area. An emergency closure, issued by the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest remains in place.    

For additional information about current closures, please visit www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/okawen/alerts-notices   

Restrictions - Campfires are not allowed anywhere within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Stage 2 Restrictions are now in effect for the entire forest, including campgrounds and wilderness areas: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/alerts-notices/?cid=fsbdev3_053600 

Evacuations- Current Chelan County evacuation levels include a Level 2 evacuation (Be Prepared) for Sears Creek Road and Level 1 (Stay Alert) for White River Road and Little Wenatchee Road. www.co.chelan.wa.us/emergency-management/pages/active-emergencies 

Recreation impacts- In addition to the Forest closure and fire restrictions, fire officials recommend avoiding recreating in the Little Wenatchee and White River Road (FS Roads 6500 and 6400) areas. Smoke is visible from the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The PCT remains open and is not directly impacted by the fires. However, the Little Wenatchee Ford and White River Trailheads are closed and cannot be used to access the PCT. The Buck Creek-Spider Meadow Loop is open and accessible, but smoke and nearby fire activity may impact the area.  

Safety message – Fire camp is moving to the Fish Lake area. Please watch out for firefighters and firefighting vehicles in the area. Drive slow and turn on headlights. 

Resources- Total personnel assigned: 297, including 1-Type 1 (Hotshot) hand crew; 3-Type 2 IA (Initial Attack) hand crews; 1-camp crew; 2-heavy lift helicopters; 1-medium lift helicopter; 1-light lift helicopter; 14 engines; 1 dozer; 2 masticators; 5 water tenders; and 102 overhead personnel.