Chelan County Declares State of Emergency in Response to Lake Chelan Area Wildfire

Declaration helps activate necessary local resources as well as potential state and federal funding

information released

In response to the Pioneer wildfire burning on Lake Chelan’s north shore, a state of emergency has been declared in Chelan County.

A resolution declaring the state of emergency was signed June 14 by Commissioner Kevin Overbay, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. County policy allows for one of the three commissioners of Chelan County to declare a state of emergency exists after counseling with public safety officers or Chelan County Emergency Management. Commissioners Tiffany Gering and Shon Smith will sign the formal resolution on June 17 at the regularly scheduled Board of County Commissioners meeting.

The emergency declaration affords commissioners the ability to use local resources without going through the typical government bidding process for goods and services. It is also generally a prerequisite for most state and federal recovery assistance funding.

The wildfire on Lake Chelan, about 31 miles up lake from the city of Chelan, was started on June 8 and is under investigation. As of Friday afternoon, it had burned 1,756 acres and was not contained. A variety of evacuation levels are in place, including a Level 3 evacuation (leave immediately) in the Rex Creek area to just north of Moore Point. The U.S. Forest Service also has closed several trails and campgrounds impacted by the fire on the north shore. The wildfire is burning up lake toward the community of Stehekin.

For updates on evacuation levels, monitor the Chelan County Emergency Management Facebook page and the Chelan County Emergency Incidents Map.