Lower Sugarloaf Fire Surpasses 20,000 Acres, Now 20% Contained

Although its pace has slowed in recent days, the Lower Sugarloaf Fire continues to blacken the landscape of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest at a rate of about 1,000 acres per day.

The blaze, which was sparked by a lightning strike in the Wenatchee River Ranger District about 12 miles east of Leavenworth on Aug. 31, is currently listed at 20,898 acres and 20% containment.

On Wednesday, the blaze was most active on its northwestern and southwestern flanks, as crews continued creating dozer lines and fuel breaks in the area of Gold Ridge in an effort to contain the flames.

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Firefighters also conducted burnout operations in the Roaring Canyon vicinity along the edges of a scar left by the Cougar Creek Fire of 2018, and used heavy equipment to attenuate fuels in Derby, Nahahum, and Olalla Canyons.

Structure protection measures are also ongoing in the Chumstick Creek area and Entiat Valley, where Level 1 and 2 evacuation notices persist for over 1,000 homes.

Today, crews are scheduled to continue both containment and suppression efforts at numerous locations within the fire zone, and forward structure protection and the bolstering of fire lines.

Smoke impacts from the fire remain a factor in several nearby communities in the Entiat, Wenatchee, and Upper Wenatchee Valleys.

On Thursday morning, Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) Northwest Team 2 assumed command of both the Lower Sugarloaf and Labor Mountain Fires.

There are currently 1,265 personnel assigned to the Lower Sugarloaf, along with 74 engines; 23 water tenders; 8 dozers; and 4 helicopters.

The fire has yet to damage or destroy any structures and no injuries have been reported.