Fire threatens tiny Washington town

WINTHROP, Wash. – Fire crews battled several large blazes in north-central Washington on Monday and were forced to re-evaluate the safety of Stehekin, at the north end of Lake Chelan, after the Flick Creek fire blew across a ridge and into the Hazard Creek drainage Monday.

The fire was burning in steep, dangerous terrain about two miles from Stehekin, which isn’t reachable by car. However, the blaze was burning at an elevation of 6,500 feet, far enough from the town that immediate evacuation was not warranted, said Maria Agnew, spokeswoman for the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office.

Agnew said authorities would notify residents to be prepared to evacuate if the fire rolls back to the 3,000-foot level, closer to the town.

The fire has blackened more than seven square miles, or 4,738 acres. It was 50 percent contained Monday.

The largest fire in Washington, the Tripod Complex, has blackened more than 181 square miles of forest between the north-central towns of Winthrop and Conconully. Firefighters estimated the fire at 116,300 acres Monday.

More than 2,700 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which was 30 percent contained.

No homes were immediately threatened by the Tripod Complex, but nine summer cabins were wrapped in a fire retardant material to shield them, fire spokeswoman Gala Miller said. The cabins are located about 15 miles north of Winthrop on the Chewuch River.

Residents in the towns of Winthrop and Conconully also have been told to be prepared. An estimated 845 structures – 300 houses, 120 commercial structures and hundreds of outbuildings – sit in the area.