Little Giant Fire Prompts New Evacuations For Lake Chelan Area

A bevy of new evacuation notices have been issued due to a wildfire in Chelan County.

The Little Giant Fire was sparked by a lightning strike on July 15, and has since spread to an estimated size of 31,528 acres with 0% containment as of Saturday (Aug. 1) afternoon.

At around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 1), Chelan County Emergency Management issued the new evacuations for the Lake Chelan area, including a Level 3 Evacuation Notice for all residents on South Lakeshore Road from Pyramid Creek to 25-Mile Creek.

A Level 2 Evacuation Notice has also been enacted for homes on South Lakeshore Road from Fields Point to 25-Mile Creek State Park. including Shady Pass, Robinson Lane, as well as the entire Park itself.

A Level 1 Fire Advisory has also been issued for all residents on South Lakeshore Road from Fields Point to State Route 971.

Sheriff’s officials say the new notices include all campgrounds within the affected zones.

Throughout the day, the blaze has pushed steadily to the east and northeast, driven by gusty winds of up to 50 mph under a Red Flag Warning that’s scheduled to remain in effect until 11 p.m. on Saturday (Aug. 1).

Evacuations also remain in place for numerous locations in the Entiat Valley and near the Chiwawa River and Chiwawa Ridge, including dozens of residences that are on a Level 3 notice.

Firefighters had been making routine water drops on the fire, but today’s brisk winds have hindered these efforts, as crews on the ground continue the enormous task of trying to hold containment lines and keep up with the fire’s rapid spread.

Now that the blaze has pushed eastward, well over 1,000 homes are being threatened, but none have been confirmed as damaged or destroyed.

There have been no injuries reported.