Ptarmigan Fire Surpasses 10,000 Acres Northwest Of Mazama Near Canadian Border

A wildfire in Okanogan County near the Canadian Border has now been torching timber for nearly two weeks.

The Ptarmigan Fire was reportedly sparked by lightning on July 15-16 in a very remote area at the western edge of the Pasayten Wilderness about 25 miles northwest of Mazama, and was discovered by a citizen who was visiting the Goat Peak Lookout on July 17.

The blaze is currently listed at 10,878 acres with no official containment, as it continues to burn dead and downed trees within the scar of the 2006 Tatoosh Fire.

After smokejumpers worked the blaze for the first week, a Type 3 Incident Management Team with the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest assumed command of firefighting operations on July 25.

There are currently a total of 72 personnel assigned to the fire, along with five water tenders and two graders.

Crews have continued structure protection efforts in recent days as the blaze pushes steadily southward.

A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail and the Pacific Northwest Trail have been closed due to the fire, along with Harts Pass Road (USFS Road 5400) at the Monument Creek Trailhead.

No evacuations are in effect at this time. No structures have been damaged or destroyed, and no injuries reported.