Road 11 Fire: Crews Mopping Up, All Evacuations Cancelled

*Final Update 4:11 pm July 13th, 2020*

Fire crews are mopping up and all evacuation notifications have been removed.

*Update 9:45 am July 13th, 2020*

The Road 11 fire, just three miles southwest of Mansfield, is held at 10,000 acres with a level two evacuation still in place. According to public information officer, Dana Leavitt, progress has stopped the fire from moving toward Mansfield. The fire is about 25% contained and growing with crews working on the edges and interior of green spots Monday.

SR 172 and McNeil Canyon Road have been reopened with no road closures as of 9:30 a.m.

Team 3 from the SE Washington All-Hazard Interagency Type 3 team took control of the fire at 8:00 am Sunday.

According to an Incident Summary from the team, the Road 11 Fire started about 12:50 pm Saturday, burning west of SR 172 near Road 11. The fire was burning toward the north, but the wind changed directions and started pushing it east towards Mansfield. Additional resources were requested, including 10 aircraft.

The Incident Management Team (IMT) is concerned with a cold weather system in the area, which may cause erratic fire behavior and gusting winds, giving the fire the ability to jump roads.

According to the team:

Currently, the fire is headed for the City of Mansfield. There is a level 2 evacuation for Mansfield and surrounding areas. Please be ready to evacuate if requested.

Today, the main effort will be stop the advancement of the fire. The goal will be to gain more containment each day. We are asking the public to please stay clear of the fire area.

The IMT wants to thank Douglas County Fire District 1 and Douglas County Fire District 5, where the fire is located, and to the mutual aid departments that worked so hard on the Initial Attack. Also, thanks to the Douglas County Sheriff's social media for the work in keeping the public informed.

*Update 7:46 pm July 11th, 2020*

From the Douglas County Sheriff's Office:

The fire is now estimated to be approximately 10,000 acres. DCSO is still in the process of going door-to-door to issue evacuation notices to all effected residences. Currently 10 aircraft have been assigned to the fire and one dozer in-route. Aircraft on scene or in route are: 2 Type 2 Helicopters; 1 Air Attack Plane; 1 Lead Plane; 1 Heavy Tanker; and 5 Single Engine Air Attack (SEATS). Local Farmers are actively assisting response personnel by digging a fire line along the West end of Mansfield.

*Update 7:31 pm July 11th, 2020*

The now 10,000-acre Road 11 Fire has burned 10 miles from east to west and is only two to three miles southwest of the town of Mansfield, according to our news partner iFIBER ONE.

*Update 6:27 pm July 11th, 2020*

From the Douglas County Sheriff's Office:

The fire has crossed Road A NE and is moving East. Level 2 evacuation notices have been issued for the Town of Mansfield and approximately 10 residences west of Mansfield. Phone service in Mansfield is reported to be down. Approximately 6 structures have been lost, with damage being to one primary residence. Please continue to avoid the area to allow crews to work safely. Thank you.

*Update 5:30 pm July 11th, 2020*

A 3rd alarm brush fire, known as the Road 11 Fire, is burning west of Mansfield near the McNeil Canyon Road area, closing several roads and leading to evacuation notices.

Level 2 evacuation notices have been issued for homes from Road B NW to Road 10 NW, and for homes south of McNeil Canyon Road.

Level 1 evacuations have been announced for homes north of McNeil Canyon Road between Road C NW and the top of McNeil Canyon Road up to Road 20 NW.

McNeil Canyon Road at US 2 has been closed at the request of Fire Command due to heavy traffic.

SR 172 is closed between milepost 8, just north of Withrow, and milepost 10 (McNeil Canyon Road). The road is also closed at Road B NE.

Rivercom first received a phone call around 12:50 pm Saturday of a brush fire burning 1/2 east of Waterville.

The fire is buring in sage and grass, may have been started by a downed power line.

A shift in the wind caused the fire jump SR 172, burning east toward Road B NW outside of Mansfield.

The fire has reached a 3rd alarm, which brought additional resources from the Chelan and Douglas areas. Fire officials are working on bringing in a state mobilization to assist, which would also include more units from outside the immediate districts.

Winds have been in excess of 25 miles per hour and shifting back and forth in the area, moving the fire in different directions.

There are now confirmed structure losses of outbuildings, but no inhabited residences at this time. The fire is currently estimated at 2,000 acres.