Jack Wells Fire Sparks Level 3 Evacuations in Brewster Area

The ongoing Jack Wells Fire has prompted Level 3 evacuation orders for much of Brewster: Cameron Lake Rd., Delfeld Rd., Snyder Flat Cutoff Rd. and Alkali Pond.

Cameron Lake Rd. is closed.

The fire is said to have started off Jack Wells Rd.

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According to a missive on the Okanogan County Emergency Management Facebook page, "Persons should be aware of their surroundings and take action immediately! Evacuate towards SR 97. Be cautious of emergency vehicles responding. Do not wait for door to door notification. This may be your only notice."

"There's very few houses up here," says Emergency Management Director Maurice Goodall. "We have notified all the people in this area, but where the Level 3's at, it's very sparsely populated. There are a few ranches here and there, so we're notifying people up and down Cameron Lake. It does have the potential to go."

Goodall says the fire is moving steadily to the north. The precise acreage remains an open question, but it could be as many 1,000 acres; that's one estimate that Goodall heard. It's also not clear how many personnel are actively tending to the fire.

"It's covered quite a bit of ground," Goodall admits. "We're out here in sagebrush and grass."

On Tuesday afternoon, Level 2 evacuation orders were issued for a swath of Bridgeport - the area encompassing Gamble Sands Golf Course and SR 17.

This is a developing story. For additional information, visit the Okanogan County webpage. Click here to access a detailed incident map.