Blaze near Lake Wenatchee 20 percent contained

LEAVENWORTH, Wash. – Hundreds of firefighters continued to battle a blaze near Lake Wenatchee on Tuesday, as Gov. Christine Gregoire flew over the fire by helicopter to assess the damage.

The fire was burning on the south slope of Dirtyface Mountain in Chelan County, about 10 miles northeast of Stevens Pass and 18 miles northwest of Leavenworth. The blaze had burned nearly 1,000 acres and was 20 percent contained by Tuesday night, said Pam Novitzky, a spokeswoman at the Dirtyface fire camp.

With the fire threat easing, residents of 75 homes in the Whispering Pines subdivision north of Highway 207, the Lake Wenatchee Highway, will be allowed to return to their homes today, she said. Fire officials ordered the evacuation Monday after the fire burned to within 100 yards of some homes.

No injuries have been reported.

Firefighters were hopeful the fire could be contained in the next 24 to 48 hours, Gregoire said in a telephone interview from fire camp Tuesday afternoon after meeting with fire officials.

Elsewhere in northcentral Washington, the Shady wildfire about 12 miles northwest of Stehekin in North Cascades National Park remained at 109 acres and was reported 50 percent contained Tuesday, said fire spokesman Timothy Manns.

Officials suspected that fire was caused by a person.