Suspect In Custody For Starting Wenatchee Fire With Fireworks

Chelan County Emergency Management has added a large portion of Sleepy Hollow Road to the fire advisory. It includes up to the area around Sleepy Hollow Heights, Eastview Lane, Edgewood Lane and Scenic View Drive. 

Wenatchee Valley Fire Chief Brian Brett says firefighting efforts have been complicated by 20 fireworks caused fires Thursday night and Friday morning. 

"We had multiple fires going all at the same time that completely tapped all resources we had," said Brett. "And this fire here has taken all the regional local resources." 

Wenatchee Valley firefighters originally handled a fire in the lower portion of Horselake Road at 10pm and had it put out by midnight. The current fire started in the area at 3 am Friday. 

Brett says they've had their hands full protecting area homes. 

"We've protected probably 150 to 175 structures so far," Brett said. "No structures lost. No injuries." 

Brett said they're patrolling in the Broadview Drainage. There's an active uncontrolled flank on the Horselake side of the fire headed toward Lake Wenatchee. The south flank toward Westview and Twin Peaks is actively burning.  

One bucket helicopter is dropping water on the fire. A bulldozer is establishing a fire line at Westview. 

State aircraft coming in include two type one helicopters, two water scooper planes, two fire boss scooper planes and a large air tanker. 

The primary plan is to box in the fire in its current footprint. Evacuation notices will be extended to Sleepy Hollow Heights, No. 1 Canyon and doing structure protection in those communities if the fire continues to spread. 

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Wenatchee area from 12 noon until 10pm. 

Local fire departments from around the Wenatchee area have a unified command set up with the local outlet of the Bureau of Land Management. 

A state Type 3 Incident Management Team will take over firefighting efforts either tonight or tomorrow morning, according to Brett. At that point, all local fire departments will return to handling all other activity in the region. 

The fire has been badged the "Balsamroot Fire" 

Chelan County Emergency Management is asking residents to use its Everbridge system, which sends out alerts to cell phones automatically