Chelan Hills Fire grows to 20,000 acres; second wildfire sparks in Navarre Coulee

ORONDO — Firefighters continued battling the rapidly expanding Chelan Hills Fire Sunday morning, July 5, as officials estimated the blaze had grown to between 15,000 and 20,000 acres overnight while evacuation orders remained in effect across parts of Douglas County.

The fire, which began shortly after midnight Saturday near Highway 97 at milepost 233, spread aggressively throughout Independence Day, forcing multiple rounds of expanded evacuation orders as it pushed north and northeast through grass and brush.

Fire officials said numerous fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters worked the fire during daylight hours Saturday. Aircraft are expected to resume operations Sunday, including drawing water from the Columbia River, and boaters are being asked to give firefighting aircraft plenty of room while they operate.

All evacuation levels remained in place Sunday morning and will be reassessed later in the day.

Highway 97 has reopened to traffic, although McNeil Canyon Road remains closed to through traffic. Officials continue urging the public to avoid the area unless they live there.

Throughout Saturday, evacuation areas expanded repeatedly as the fire crossed McNeil Canyon Road and advanced toward Beebe Ranch and surrounding neighborhoods. Additional Level 3 "Get Out Now" orders were issued for roads north of McNeil Canyon and later extended to portions of Road 20 NW, Beebe Ranch Road, North Shore Drive, East Shore Drive and several neighboring roads as fire activity intensified.

The Washington State Patrol authorized state fire mobilization early Saturday morning, bringing additional firefighting resources from around Washington to support local crews. Three strike teams were ordered under the state's Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan after local resources were exceeded.

Meanwhile, firefighters responded Saturday night to a second wildfire across the Columbia River in Chelan County.

The Navarre Fire, burning in the Navarre Coulee area west of the river, was initially reported as a 6- to 7-acre vegetation fire Saturday evening before growing to 10 acres later that night. By Sunday morning, the fire was estimated at approximately 300 acres.

Chelan County Sheriff's Office has issued a Level 1 "Stay Alert" fire advisory for the Navarre Coulee area, including Oklahoma Gulch and Johnson Creek Road. Earlier advisories also included Navarre Coulee Road from Highway 97A to milepost 4.

The two fires are burning on opposite sides of the Columbia River, with the much larger Chelan Hills Fire remaining the primary firefighting effort as crews continue working to protect homes and infrastructure.

Although the fire threat still remains, both 97 and 97A are open for travel on both sides of the river as of this update.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media