Community Invited: November 3 Zoom Meeting will Discuss Post-Wildfire Assessment of 25-Mile Fire

Study reports potential for moderate, high levels of debris flows in drainage

information released by Chelan County, file photo

The community is invited to an online presentation on Wednesday that will go over the results of a recent federal report describing the post-wildfire conditions in the Twenty-Five Mile Creek Watershed near Lake Chelan, site of one of the largest wildfires this year in the state.

The Zoom meeting will be 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when federal, state and local agencies will discuss the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) assessment. To sign in, go to the Chelan County website for details (www.co.chelan.wa.us), or look at the sign-in details below.

“If you are a property owner in the Twenty-Five Mile Creek area, we strongly encourage you to listen in on this discussion,” said Sgt. Jason Reinfeld of Chelan County Emergency Management. “The impacts of the Twenty-Five Mile Fire, unfortunately, will be felt for several years to come. At the meeting, we will talk about what precautions property owners should take.”

First reported on Aug. 15, the Twenty-Five Mile Fire burned more than 22,200 acres, almost all of which is within the Twenty-Five Mile Creek Watershed. The fire’s cause remains under investigation.

In September, the U.S. Forest Service assembled a BAER team to assess the damage caused by the fire to the landscape, including soils impacted by the fire. BAER assessments measure post-fire conditions and determine the potential for increased flooding, debris flows and rock slides.

The BAER report estimates a moderate to high level of debris-flow hazards for most of the area burned by the local fire. The report, which includes a map showing the debris flow risks and runoff potentials, is available online at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7846/67523/

On Wednesday, attendees will hear from a variety of agencies and learn about resources available to private property owners. Among the agencies that will present information at the online meeting are:

U.S. Forest Service
Washington Department of Natural Resources
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Cascadia Conservation District
NOAA National Weather Service
Chelan County Public Works
Chelan County Emergency Management

The meeting will also be recorded for people who cannot attend. The link will be available on the Cascadia Conservation District website: https://cascadiacd.org/.