Lower Sugarloaf Fire Reaches 10,000 Acre Mark, Still 0% Contained

After burning on the landscape of the Wenatchee River Ranger District on the Okanagan-Wenatchee National Forest for only a week, the Lower Sugarloaf Fire has now officially reached a size of 10,000 acres.

Fire managers with Pacific Northwest Complex Incident Management Team 3 released the new approximate acreage on Sunday, along with the same figure of containment on the blaze since it sparked from a lightning strike on Aug. 31, 0%.

Officials say a thunderstorm moved over the fire zone, which is centered about 12 miles west of Leavenworth, just after midnight on Sunday and pushed the inferno to the southeast - away from Kloochman Creek and past Roaring Ridge, triggering crews to engage in suppression strategies and structure protection efforts to prevent the fire's spread and any property damage.

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For the first time since the blaze broke out, fire activity moderated throughout much of Saturday thanks to cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity. This helped firefighters to complete burnout operations along the southwestern flank of the blaze where they also worked to protect a powerline corridor.

Crews also continued burnout measures in the Chumstick Creek and Second Creek areas, and finished the construction of a dozer line in the Beaver Creek vicinity on the fire's northwestern edge.

Sunday's focus was scheduled to be largely centered on the fire's southeastern flank, where containment efforts and suppression were to occur. Fire managers also report that more aircraft will now be flying more reconnaissance and suppression missions over the fire zone, since visibility has increased over the past 24 hours.

As visibility has increased over the fire zone, smoke impacts in surrounding communities within the Wenatchee, Upper Wenatchee, and Entiat Valleys had also largely dissipated on Sunday, with air qualities improving  from "Unhealthy" levels to "Moderate" or better.

All evacuation notices attached to the fire remain unchanged, including a Level 3 "Leave Now!" notice in the Ardenvoir area for all residents above and including 427 Mad River Road. (to see all current evacuation notices, click here.)

There are currently 451 personnel assigned to the Lower Sugarloaf Fire, as well as 56 engines; 18 water tenders; 4 dozers; and 2 helicopters.

Fire forecasters say a system of low pressure should continue to aid in minimizing fire activity to start the week, with the best chance for wetting rain to occur on Tuesday, when the blaze could finally see its first official containment levels by day's end.

There have been no reports of any structures being damaged or destroyed by the blaze thus far, and no injuries have been reported.