Pioneer Fire Partly Contained; Gold Creek Fire Contained

The Forest Service has critical updates regarding the much-publicized Pioneer Fire.

On June 8, the Pioneer Fire got underway in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area, about 31 miles northwest of Chelan. The fire has since ballooned to 4,742 acres.

Scores of personnel - 605, to be precise - are actively working to contain the blaze. It is now 7% contained.

The Pioneer Fire is believed to have been human-triggered, but details are sketchy. The exact cause remains under investigation.

According to a Forest Service press release, yesterday saw the deployment of an "unmanned aircraft aerial system (UAS) to assess the fire for future strategic suppression opportunities."

"In Stehekin, crews implemented the structure protection plan by constructing new handline and plumbing it from Boulder Creek north to Rainbow Creek to minimize fire impacts."

Tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, a public meeting will take place at Stehekin's West Visitor Center. No virtual option will be made available.

What follows was gleaned from the Pioneer Fire webpage.

Weather: Expect cooler temperatures with down-lake winds gusting up to 30 mph and a slight chance of rain. The air quality outlook is at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at smokeready.org.

Safety: Recreational boaters are asked to maintain a safe distance from helicopters dipping into Lake Chelan for water collection. Always check current fire restrictions and never leave a campfire unattended.

Evacuations: Evacuation levels have been downgraded as of June 28. Visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for the most up-to-date information.

Closures: The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest issued closures in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness and surrounding areas. Details, including maps, are available at: https://bit.ly/PioneerClosure

Meanwhile, in the area south of Carlton, Washington, the Gold Creek Fire has been contained. This fire, which began on June 22, engulfed 278 acres. Yesterday, according to the Gold Greek Fire webpage, the fire was "transitioned back to local resources. Smoke may continue to be visible deep within the fire perimeter."

"Local resources will remain on the fire completing interior mop-up over the next few days."