Lightning Sparks At Least Eight New Fires On The Okanogan-Wenatchee Nat’l Forest

A round of lightning strikes produced by lines of thunderstorms over the Central Cascade Mountains have sparked several fires on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

U.S. Forest Service officials say the storms moved through late Wednesday, igniting a total of eight fires which have been discovered thus far.

The largest blaze, the Three Queens Fire, is burning on the Cle Elum Ranger District about two miles northwest of Little Lake Kachess and was last estimated at around 25 acres in size.

Meanwhile, on the Lake Wenatchee Ranger District, the Little Giant Fire has torched about five acres near 19-Mile Campground in the Chiwawa River Drainage.

An active fire known as the Domke Fire that's reportedly less than half-an-acre in size is also burning on the Chelan Ranger District roughly two miles south of Lucerne, and the Cougar Fire has now been contained after scorching nearly two acres on the Methow Valley Ranger District.

The remaining fires are all reportedly less than one-tenth-of-an-acre in size, and most of the blazes are said to be burning on steep and austere terrain with challenging access for firefighters.

Crews of rappelers and smokejumpers are actively working all of the fires, along with a variety of ground apparatus but no reported aerial suppression at this time.

Air resources are currently being utilized to scout for other new fires in the forest, which officials say are likely to be found in the days ahead.

There are no road or trail closures in effect due to any of the fires at this time, and no damages to structures or other infrastructure has been reported.