Brushfire Burns 20 Acres, Destroys Structures & Vehicles In McNeil Canyon

Several structures and other property were destroyed by a wildfire in western Douglas County near Chelan Falls late Sunday afternoon.

Officials with Douglas County Fire District No. 5 (Douglas 5) say the Spring Canyon Fire sent crews scrambling to the area of Bigelow Springs Road at around 5:15 p.m. after reports of heavy smoke in the vicinity.

Firefighters arrived to find that the blaze had already destroyed a carport, several RVs, and least two other vehicles, and was spreading rapidly in dry grass and sagebrush.
The blaze was quickly elevated to two-alarm status and prompted Level 1 evacuation notices for homes along Spring Canyon Road as it raced downhill toward the Columbia River.

Get our free mobile app

Crews from six local fire districts were joined by those from the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service using at least one fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters performing both water and retardant drops to contain the fire.

The blaze torched about 20 acres before being fully corralled, all evacuation notices were cancelled by 9 p.m., and no injuries were reported.

Officials with Douglas 5 say the official cause of the fire remains under investigation, but it's believed to have been ignited by sparks from mechanical work that was being done by residents in the area.

Fire managers say a few small pockets of smoke might still be visible over the next few days in the vicinity, as sparse timber and other vegetation continues to smolder, but crews are monitoring the blaze and working to extinguish any hot spots.