Damage assessment confirms 35 structures lost to Little Giant Fire

LEAVENWORTH — At least 35 confirmed structures have been lost in the Entiat River valley from the Little Giant Fire, which has burned over 134,000 acres since it started July 15. 

The updated total comes from a thorough assessment completed on Aug. 12 by the Chelan County Assessor’s Office, Emergency Management, and Chelan County Fire District 8, from approximately mile marker 25 down through the valley. Of those 35 structures, two were primary homes, 13 were secondary homes/cabins, and more than 20 were outbuildings. 

An initial assessment was made days after the Little Giant Fire became especially active in the upper Entiat Valley over the night of Aug. 7. However, due to hazard risk limitations, officials weren’t able to complete a comprehensive assessment, only determining a total of 26 structures had been destroyed.

“We understand the importance of maintaining an up-to-date assessment of the Little Giant Fire’s impact on properties. However, it is our priority to ensure that the information provided is as accurate as possible based on what is currently known. Additional information may become available as damage assessments continue when it is safe to do so,” Chelan County Sheriff’s Office said in the announcement.

As of Monday, Aug. 17, the Little Giant Fire has reached 134,635 acres with 1,985 assigned personnel and only 10 percent containment.

Officials said firefighters were able to make significant progress with strategic firing operations southward along Chiwawa River Road on Sunday due to high moisture levels and calmer wind. They continued with careful and deliberate firing operations into the night, anchoring into Forest Service Road 6208 and its connecting spur roads. This operation is successfully strengthening and deepening the control line, according to the incident management team.

For Tuesday, officials said crews will shift operations eastward at Forest Service Road 6208 and tie into McDonald Ridge if conditions allow, adjusting operations based on weather and fire behavior. Hotshot crews are mopping up behind the firing operations to extinguish remaining pockets of heat and address hotspots, ensuring the reinforced control line remains secure. Masticators continue clearing fuels along Pole Ridge, with work expected to continue throughout the week.

Strategic firing operations also occurred in the Entiat River drainage, in small areas of unburned fuels along Tyee Ridge Road to Tyee Lookout, where firefighters have successfully held the line for multiple days, said officials. On the east side of the Entiat River, firefighters laid hose and set up sprinklers in Gene Creek to cool the fire’s edge and support efforts to tie the line into Baldy Mountain. Crews are working to clear mud and debris from the roadway and have progressed to Entiat Falls. Mastication work is nearing completion in Potato Creek, and crews have moved to Slide Ridge to continue reinforcing contingency lines toward Navarre Coulee.

Near Lake Chelan, crews safely engaged the fire directly along Devil’s Backbone and around Junior Point and Grouse Mountain. Firefighters continue to monitor the spot fire across Lake Chelan using infrared imaging. Concern over the spread of the spot fire is diminishing as only small pockets of interior heat linger. Structure protection preparation is complete at Domke Lake, and the Wildland Fire Module will shift its focus northward to Lucerne.

The incident management team established a new, larger fire camp in Chelan to help ease traffic congestion and safety concerns on Highway 97A in Entiat. Officials are asking the public to use caution when driving by these camps.

Sunday night into Monday, Chelan County Emergency Management reduced some evacuation levels around the north and south shores of Lake Chelan. Current evacuation orders for the area can be found on the Chelan County Emergency Incidents Map. Residents can also sign up to receive direct evacuation notifications via the Everbridge Emergency Alert Program.

Emergency Management said there has been a high volume of traffic in the Level 3 evacuation areas, particularly in the Entiat Valley. While homeowners in the Level 3 area are able to access their homes when appropriate, the agency said, the access does not permit them to drive throughout the area, where conditions are still dangerous. 

A community meeting will be held tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at Lake Wenatchee Recreation Club. The meeting will also be streamed to the Little Giant Facebook Page. Presenters will answer questions after the meeting, and you can also submit questions in advance via email to 2026.littlegiant@firenet.gov.

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has issued a closure order for the Little Giant Fire Area, as well as a forest-wide campfire ban. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is also in effect over the fire area. Unauthorized drone activity is prohibited under this TFR, as firefighting helicopters and aircraft cannot fly when drones are present.

The incident management team is asking people to stay near the shore and clear of firefighting aircraft scooping water from area lakes and rivers.

The lightning-caused fire started July 15 in the upper Chiwawa River drainage of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, about 20-30 miles northwest of Leavenworth.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media