Crews Finally Achieve Some Containment On 7,800-Acre Wildcat Fire

After battling the Wildcat Fire in Yakima County for over two weeks, crews have finally achieved at least a modicum of containment on the blaze.

The fire, which was sparked by a lighting strike on Aug. 25 in the William O. Douglas Wilderness Area on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest about 30 miles northwest of Naches, is currently listed at 7,893 acres with 8% containment.

Officials with Complex Incident Management Northwest Team 10 released a statement Wednesday saying numerical containment percentages are only one metric used to gauge a successful fight against wildfire, while others including the safeguarding and risk mitigation to public safety, homes, and other valuable infrastructure have already proven efficacious on the Wildcat Fire over the past 16 days.

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Fire managers say little growth was seen on the blaze on Tuesday, as crews remained active removing debris and constructing a dozer line in the area of Bumping River Road.

Crews have also reportedly been busy scouting the forestlands surrounding the fire's footprint for new fire starts, after several rounds of lightning came through the area since the weekend.

On Wednesday, firefighters are scheduled to perform containment measures along a portion of State Route 410 (SR-410) in the Timber Creek area, where crews will utilize both manual efforts and machines to remove and thin potentially-flammable vegetation and other fuels.

Forecasters are calling for gradually cloudier skies as the day progresses with a chance of thundershowers in the late afternoon - a trend that fire officials welcome in light of the cooler temperatures the cloudy conditions will bring, but that also raises some concerns due to the potential for lightning associated with the shower activity.

Although SR-410 remains open, portions of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Mount Rainier National Park, and the Pacific Crest Trail remain closed due to the fire.

The Yakima County Sheriff's Office has also increased a Level 1 Fire Advisory to a Level 2 "Be Ready" evacuation notice for residents in the Goose Prairie Community and along Bumping River Road.

There are currently 527 total personnel assigned to the fire, which has yet to damage or destroy any structures.

No injuries have been reported.