Lighning sparks numerous fires near Chelan, homes threatened

Flames and smoke from the new blazes were visible from downtown Chelan, including two near wildfires on the south end of Lake Chelan, up along Butte Canyon.

The fire burned near the large Wolverine Fire.

In Kamiah, Idaho, a collection of fires called the Lawyer Complex Fire grew to 11,000 acres and led to evacuation warnings in the area east of Lewiston, Idaho, along Highway 12.

Four fires burn in Chelan County. The hearth is shifting into the Washington Creek threatening buildings in that space. More details as they come in…

The fire was expected to keep growing as strong winds push it through dry grassland. Level 3, the get out now highest level of evacuations, in place for Little Butte Ranch Road, Level 3 for Butte Road South, West High Avenue, East Hawks Meadow, and level 2 evacuation on everything south of 97-a, from Downey Road to the high school, past lakeside.

A fire on Icicle Ridge did not require evacuations as of 9 a.m. Friday.

The Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office recommended residents evacuate several drainages on the southern edge of the fire, and some roads were closed.

No information is yet available about the number of structures threatened, Langford said. “A lot of places in town have lost their power because of the fires”. Because of the fires, two trails have been closed, #1570 Icicle Ridge Trail and the 4th of July Trail, #1579. The Red Cross set up an evacuation center at Chelan Elementary School.

Numerous fires have been ignited so far by a lightning storm that moved through the region early Friday morning. The Chelan county Emergency Managment released an update on the fire Friday afternoon.

A fire on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in rural central Oregon exploded to more than 50 square miles Friday, forcing evacuations of a rural subdivision and a resort that had 400 guests booked Thursday night.