COLVILLE, Wash. -- The Chelan Hospital is being evacuated due to wildfires that continue to threaten the town.
Chelan County Emergency Management said the patients would be moved to Central Washington Hospital. The emergency room will remain open.
Power is out for most of Chelan and Manson. Chelan County PUD said more than 30 power poles have burned and need to be replaced.
The Chelan PUD call center will have updated information for customers. That number is 1-877-783-8123.
Multiple structures are reported to be lost but the exact number and type of structures is not yet known.
Chelan County Emergency Management said multiple areas have been evacuated in the vicinity of Chelan, including a minimum of 1,500 residents.
Just after 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Douglas County Sheriff Harvey Gjesdal said deputies reported no fire east of Division Road, which means Bridgeport, the Bridgeport Bar and Mandsfield don't appear to be in any immediate danger.
"Because of the unpredictable nature of this fire, the existing evacuation notices will remain in effect. As always we implore citizens to remain vigilant," he said.
The Reach Fire Complex includes the Chelan Butte Fire, the Deer Mountain Fire and the Antoine Fire.
The Department of Transportation said Saturday that US 97 is closed from Orondo, 16 miles north of Wenatchee to Pateros due to fire activity. There is no estimated time of reopening. A detour is available on US2 then SR17.
Chelan County Emergency Management says the Reach Fire Complex has prompted Mandatory Level 3 evacuations around Chelan and Level 2 evacuations, in which residents are prompted to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. (See list below)
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office says the fire has jumped the Columbia River and has moved rapidly north and east. Level 3 evacuations are in effect for Chelan Springs, McNeill Canyon, Central Ferry and Dezellem Hill Road. Level 2 evacuations are in effect for the city of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Bar.
The Wenatchee World posted on Facebook winds have sparked new fires in Okanogan County. Firefighting agencies say resources are stretched thin, and the state Department of Natural Resources has asked for help from the National Guard.
The Red Cross has opened a shelter for residents affected by the fire at the Entiat Valley Community Resource Center (2084 Entiat Way) in Entiat. A second shelter in East Wenatchee (600 N. James Ave.) opened late Friday night. Volunteers are working with the Wenatchee Humane Society (509-662-9577) to help shelter small animals.
Evacuations
Evacuation levels change rapidly. Contact Chelan Emergency Management at 509-667-6863 for updated evacuation information.
Level 3:
- All of South Shore Rd.
- Pat and Mike's Texico to Slidewaters (Alt 97/Woodin Ave)
- East Hawks Meadow Road
- Butte Road S
- Little Butte Road
- 1100 block West Prospect
- Paradise Condoes
- West High Street
- Chelan Falls High School and all homes and apartments behind the school
- Union Valley and Cagle Gulch
- All of Washington Creek Road and Antoine Creek Road
- Lake Chelan State Park
- First Creek Road
- Granite Falls
- Navarre Coulee
- All of Chelan Falls
- Apple Acres Trailer Park
- S Farnham Street
- Chelan Fruit
- Isenhart Road
- Goodwin Road
Level 2
- Antoine Creek area from Apple Acres to the County Line
- Purtteman Gulch and Cooper Gulch
- All the canyons off of Chelan Butte
- Buzzard Perch Lane
Information and updates are in flux. Officials are posting the latest updates on Facebook and Twitter.
The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Camp Murray has been activated to coordinate assistance for the Reach Fire Complex. The Fire Protection Bureau has also ordered six wildlife strike teams and one structural strike team to help.
The fires near Chelan were among the many crews were battling throughout Washington as windy and hot conditions made areas tinder-dry. Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Janet Pierce says most of the state is under a red-flag warning, meaning the temperatures are high and the landscape is crispy dry.
One fire near Cougar Creek, near the Yakima Indian Reservation, had burned 28 square miles and had zero percent containment. The state on Friday requested help from the National Guard to fight that fire.
A fire burning northeast of Colville had burned almost 5 square miles and was only 3 percent contained. Pierce says it is being pushed by sustained winds of 40 mph. Campgrounds in the area were under evacuation orders.
Firefighters are also still dealing with the Wolverine Fire near Lucerne. The 38,000-acre fire, sparked by lightning in June, is 20 percent contained. Latest on the Wolverine Fire.
And a wildfire ignited by a plane crash that killed two people in a rugged area of northern Washington state chased hundreds of people from their homes and burned 10 to 12 structures.
