Prescribed burn planned near Upper Wheeler Reservoir April 14–16

WENATCHEE — If conditions line up, a quiet stretch of land south of Wenatchee will see a different kind of fire this week.

Crews are planning a prescribed burn in the Upper Wheeler area from April 14 to April 16, using carefully managed fire to reduce built-up fuels and improve the long-term health of the forest.

The work will take place on about 35 acres near Upper Wheeler Reservoir in the Stemilt Basin, a patchwork of public lands about 12 miles south of the city where water, wildlife and recreation all meet.

Ignitions are expected to be completed in a single day, with crews remaining on site in the days and weeks that follow to monitor conditions, secure the area and ensure the burn stays within its intended boundaries.

People in the area may notice smoke drifting near the Upper Wheeler Reservoir during that time.

The burn is part of a broader effort to restore forest health and wildfire resilience to a portion of the landscape that is highly valued for water resources, wildlife habitat and recreation.

The work brings together multiple agencies, including Chelan County Natural Resources, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department.

Updates on this and other prescribed burns are available through the Central Washington Initiative Smoke Pilot interactive map.

For questions about the project, contact Erin McKay, forest health program manager for Chelan County Natural Resources, at erin.mckay@co.chelan.wa.us.

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