Wildfire north of Chelan burns 3 homes

Wildfire north of Chelan burns 3 homes

33 more evacuated and others threatened as the flames close in

Monday, July 30, 2001

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CHELAN -- A 2,500-acre wildfire that burned a house and two trailers near this Central Washington resort town had forced the evacuation of 33 residences by late last night. Elsewhere, crews were able to contain a fire that grew to 5,000 acres near Wallula.

Some 70 homes were not evacuated but remained threatened by the Union Valley fire, a few miles north of Chelan. Nearly 500 firefighters and support staff were on the scene, along with three helicopters, four air tankers, five bulldozers and 25 fire engines, the state Emergency Management Division said.


	A plane drops fire retardant on the Bruckner Springs area north of Chelan in a bid to control a wildfire that spread yesterday. Dry conditions and winds fanned the fire, believed started by people. AP.

The fire, burning in brush, scrub grass and some timber, was only about 10 percent contained within fire lines by last night, and there was no estimate of when it would be fully contained, interagency fire spokesman John Townsley said.

It was first reported on Saturday afternoon, and by Saturday night it had destroyed the house and two trailers being used as summer homes. No injuries were reported, and no other structures burned yesterday.

Mike Brownfield said he spent Saturday night fighting to save his home in the Union Valley area.

"Within just a few minutes we were surrounded with flames," he told KOMO-TV. "It was glowing orange, and trees were candling and just exploding around us."

Meanwhile, more than 300 firefighters were able to fully contain the 5,000-acre fire burning in sagebrush at Port Kelley, south of Wallula on the Columbia River near the Oregon border, said Don Marlatt, emergency management director for Walla Walla County.

The fire was contained within fire lines by 6 p.m. yesterday, and mop-up work on hot spots was under way, state Emergency Management Division spokesman Rob Harper said. Crews were aided by cool, damp weather.

No homes were burned and no injuries were reported in the Port Kelley fire, which was believed to have been started by sparks from a train.

Many residents of homes around the Union Valley fire evacuated voluntarily.

The town of Chelan, full of summertime visitors to the lake's resorts and campgrounds, was not threatened and was not in the path of smoke from the fire, he said.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, but investigators believed it was started by humans, Thayer said. But it did not start at any of the burned structures, as earlier had been reported.

The fire was called in at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and it grew to 15 acres within 30 minutes, Chelan County Fire District No. 7 reported.

A Red Cross emergency center was established in Chelan's community gym, but most evacuees appeared to be staying elsewhere.

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