North Star Fire Blackens 200 Acres, Prompts Evacuations Near Brewster

Residents in Southern Okanogan County remain on alert as crews work to extinguish a wildfire that forced dozens to evacuate on Saturday morning.

Officials with Okanogan County Emergency Management say the North Star Fire sparked at around 8 a.m. near Brewster and rapidly grew in gusty winds under an impending Red Flag Warning.

After only a few hours, the blaze had enlarged to over 100 acres and prompted the issuance of Level 2 and 3 evacuation notices for residents on King Rock, North Star, and Paradise Roads, as well as the closure of several area roads.

By late afternoon, crews had gained the upper hand on the fire and halted its momentum at approximately 200 acres, as all evacuation notices were lowered to Level 1 Fire Advisories.

As of Sunday morning, officials say crews are still working to put out hot spots and shore up containment lines to ensure the blaze causes no further issues.

No structures have been damaged or destroyed and no injuries reported.