Reflecting on an inferno: 30 years since the devastating 1994 fires surrounded and threatened Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH—Three decades ago this summer, in the waning days of July and early August, Leavenworth was evacuated. Its water treatment plant was shuttered for days, the Icicle Irrigation District canals ran dry for more than a week, both mountain passes were closed, and the Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, arriving by helicopter, surveyed sites around the community to assess the need for federal and state relief measures. 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of a series of wildfires, dubbed the Hatchery Complex, that posed an existential threat to Leavenworth and the Lake Wenatchee areas. 

Chelan County Fire District #3 Fire Chief Kelly O’Brien, who is also celebrating a 30th anniversary as a firefighter in District #3 and was only 24 at the time, recalls that, prior to the fires, “we knew that it was going to be a tough year. There was an earlier fire down Valley around Dryden that jumped the highway. We knew then what we might be dealing with.”

With drought-like conditions impacting the forests and vegetation of North Central Washington for years preceding the fires, the start to the summer of ‘94 began ominously after a hot, dry spring. Late June saw temperatures consistently in the 90s increasing to well over 100 regularly in July. Then, during the afternoon and early evening of July 24, clouds began to gather as a major thunderstorm rolled northward across the Cascades.

According to a U.S. Forest Service assessment, lightning ignited forty-one fires in the Wenatchee National Forest that evening, stretching local resources. Yet, most of those fires were swiftly suppressed by quick-acting firefighters. Still, despite the influx of manpower and firefighting assets, the extreme conditions, coupled with high winds, allowed three of the fires to overcome containment efforts.

The Hatchery Creek fire began high on Icicle Ridge and burned into Tumwater Canyon before jumping the Wenatchee River and Hwy 2. It then headed up Tumwater Mountain and toward Spromberg and Freund Canyons, threatening Leavenworth and the Chumstick corridor.

On Nason Ridge above Lake Wenatchee, the Round Mountain fire menaced residences and other structures in and around Lake Wenatchee State Park, including Kahler Glen. The Tyee Creek fire began in the Entiat Valley before moving toward Lake Chelan but, a week later, reversed course roaring over Entiat Ridge toward Plain, joining the Hatchery Creek fire to form a wide-reaching complex.

Worse came to worst on July 29, when a blaze, believed to have been inadvertently started by two men clearing private land near the Icicle and Rat Creeks, was also ignited. The Rat Creek fire burned down Icicle Canyon, ravaging Wedge Mountain and Mountain Home before streaking down to Blewett Canyon.

Greater Leavenworth was encircled, and the next three weeks included wild scenes of leaping fire, drifting embers, heavy smoke, evacuations, intense suppression tactics, an influx of help from around the region and the country, and national attention. 

“We’ve had a lot of big fires, but nothing compared to what we’ve seen here,” Greg Thayer, a fire information officer told The Leavenworth Echo at the time. Despite the conditions, O’Brien remembers the evacuations going “very smoothly,” until Leavenworth resembled a “ghost town.”

Over 9,500 firefighters and other personnel from twenty-five states joined local crews in the battle, including 1,600 members of the National Guard who joined fire camps at the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery and the Lake Wenatchee Airstrip. At the time, it was the largest peacetime mobilization of the Washington National Guard.

At last, in mid-August, cooler, moister weather moved in, allowing firefighters to begin to establish perimeters and control the fires, some of which continued to smolder until the snow fell. 

In the end, 187,000 acres of Wenatchee National Forest and private land burned. The Hatchery Creek fire took eighteen homes, the Tyee nineteen, and an additional 76 structures were lost. Snow Lake, Eightmile Lake, Stuart Lake, Lower Mad River, and other heavily used trails were severely damaged. Total costs ran to over $69 million. In addition, the height of the tourist season was interrupted, causing significant economic stress.

The human effect was also considerable and meaningful. “The fire department [District #3] was fully committed,” averred O’Brien. “Most of our personnel were volunteers who worked their jobs and then worked a fire shift - all under a heavy amount of smoke for weeks. Their efforts are part of the story that doesn’t get told enough. Firefighters never like to see their hometown and neighbors under threat. It was rough. And I was a bit green around the gills. So, it became a real learning experience for me.”

Lasting memories for residents include not only the power of the roaring flames, but also the value of understanding and appreciating the real threat that fire poses to Leavenworth and North Central Washington. The lessons learned from the fiery summer of 1994 continue to shape the town’s approach to fire prevention and response. 

“The biggest thing is fuel reduction,” asserted O’Brien. “Getting rid of fuels from at least 100 feet around homes must be done to prevent wildfires from destroying our communities. We [the fire department] offer free assessments that will help owners make their homes more defensible. Thankfully, today the folks who live here are much more fire aware than we were in ‘94.”

For more information on Chelan County Fire District’s Home Assessment Program:

https://www.chelanfd3.org/home-assessment-program/

Caroline Menna is an intern for Ward Media and a rising senior (Class of 2025) at Cascade High School. She will serve as Editor-in-Chief of the Cascade High School Publications Group for the 2024-2025 academic year.