Level 1 Evacuations in Place for Fire South of Cashmere

A 25-acre fire burning south of Cashmere has forced Level 1 (get ready) evacuation notices from the 2800 block of Mission Creek Road to Sand Creek Road and from the 3900 block of Yaksum Canyon Road south to the top.

Central Washington Interagency Communications Center Assistant Center Manager of Operations Josh Gibbs said five aircraft are involved: an air attack fixed-wing plane for aerial supervision, two helicopters, and two amphibious single engine tankers called Air Bosses.

"This incident is kind of in between the Mission Creek and Yaksum Canyon area." said Gibbs, "So RiverCom sent some county resources and we have a response coming from the Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service."

The fire response was somewhat hampered initially due to a helicopter that was forced back to the airport because of communications issues. Also, some of the trucks and engines were too heavy for the weight restrictions on the small bridges leading up to the fire. Luckily, winds were basically non-existent.

Crews are aiming to fully suppress the blaze. The fire is thought to be human caused and a fire investigator has been ordered.