Little Giant Fire Tops 70,000 Acres, As Spot Fire Near Manson Grows To Almost 500 Acres

A wildfire that's nearing its third week on the landscape in Chelan County saw a significant amount of growth on Tuesday (Aug. 4).

The Little Giant Fire was sparked by a lightning strike on July 15, and has since grown to a current estimated size of 70,853 acres with 0% containment.

The new size estimates were issued Wednesday morning and mark an increase of roughly 11,000 acres over the past 24-36 hours.

On Tuesday, crews intensified their focus on a spot fire located on the north side of Lake Chelan about 20 miles northwest of Manson that was ignited by wind-blown embers from the fire's main body last Saturday (Aug. 1).

The spot fire is considered part of the Little Giant's overall footprint and is now estimated at 445 acres on its own. It's burning south of Little Goat Mountain, and crews working along nearby Gold Ridge were able to hike in to the area and begin the construction of a contingency line on.

Due to continuing heavy smoke over the fire zone, including the spot fire, aerial suppression measures were not able to mobilize on Tuesday.

On the eastern edge of the fire's main body, its flames have now spread to within one-and-a-half miles of Twenty-Five Mile State Park, as structure protection efforts increased in the Box Canyon vicinity towards Lake Chelan.

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Firefighters also worked to forge containment lines in the area, as well as several others, including Tommy Creek, Shady Pass, and along Big Meadow Creek Road in the Twin Lakes vicinity.

Structure protection measures also continued in numerous places in the Entiat River Valley.

The blaze has slowed considerably over the past few days along Chiwawa Ridge and to the north near Maple Creek, as well as eastward into the Glacier Peak Wilderness.

The fire's northern and northeastern flanks of the fire were again the most active on Tuesday, as several spot fires that had touched off in recent days merged together to create larger ones.

There are currently a total of 1,506 personnel assigned to the fire, along with 69 engines; 31 water tenders; and four helicopters.

Smoke impacts from the blaze have created unhealthy air quality readings in the Chelan, Entiat, and Wenatchee Valleys, as well as other nearby communities.

A Level 3 Evacuation Notice remains in effect for residents and recreational sites in multiple areas, including near the Chiwawa River Drainage, in the Entiat River Valley, and on the south and north shores of Lake Chelan.

Over 1,800 structures are currently being threatened by the blaze, but none have been damaged or destroyed.

Officials with California Interagency Incident Management Team 2 report that one person "working on the fire" has been injured, but no other injuries or fatalities have been reported.