Fire In Palisades Area Growing After Igniting Late Monday Night

The Bureau of Land Management is now in leading response to a fire in the Palisades that ignited after 10 pm Monday night. 

The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department was initially called to the scene of the fire which has grown from several acres to almost 700 acres. 

The fire is traveling southeast up ridges toward the Baird Springs area. 

Level 1 evacuation notices are currently in place in the area an no buildings are currently threatened. 

The Bureau of Land Management has taken command of the fire because its burning mostly on federal land. 

As of Tuesday morning, there were seven brush trucks on the scene along with one fire engine, three hand crews and a bulldozer, according to Wenatchee Valley Fire Department Operations Chief Andy Davidson. 

He said the BLM has ordered two helicopters, one twin engine airplane and two scooper planes to battle the fire. 

The Wenatchee Valley Fire Department is providing one of the helicopters, which will stay active with the fire for its duration. 

The fire department itself will be involved in the fire response for the duration of Tuesday if not longer. 

Normally local fire districts and departments hand off operation of large fires to state and federal operations after 36 hours. 

The transfer happens after a third alarm is called which brings in all local fire departments to assist with the fire. A statewide mobilization is then called in order for state and federal crews to step in so that local departments can revert to handling calls in their owns jurisdictions. 

In this case, a third alarm was not called because there were no threatened homes in the area. 

Still, BLM has taken command of the fire and will be ordering and paying for resources. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation.