Firefighters getting a handle on wildfires in central Washington

More accurate GPS mapping shows the fires burning in central Washington are not as big as originally feared, according to incident commanders.

The three large fires were started by lighting during Monday’s storm and spread quickly in high winds, burning in Chelan, Grant and Douglas counties.

The total acres burned is now estimated at 46,600 acres, with the Sutherland Canyon Fire about 6 miles northwest of Quincy the largest at 29,400 acres. It was thought the Sutherland Canyon Fire had merged with the 8,400-acre Straight Hollow fire 11 miles northwest of Quincy, but it did not. The two blazes did burn as close as a quarter-mile of each other.

The Sutherland Canyon Fire was 50 percent contained as of noon Friday and the Straight Hollow Fire was 75 percent contained. Most of the recent fire growth has been on the southwest edge near Highway 28 and crews are continuing to build fire lines and drop water.

The 8,700-acre Spartan Fire, about 9 miles southeast of Wenatchee, was 81 percent contained as of noon Friday.