Little Giant Fire Update - Friday, August 14, 2026 - Lake Chelan News and Information

Community Meeting tonight, 6:30 p.m. in Entiat School Gym

information released

There will be a community meeting tonight at 6:30 PM in Entiat School Gym. 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.

Current Situation:

Firefighters continue to implement a full-suppression strategy focused on minimizing fire growth and acres burned. Cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and cloud cover moderated fire behavior yesterday, giving firefighters opportunities to safely engage closer to the fire’s edge.

Crews successfully held the fire along Tyee Ridge by conducting small firing operations that tied the fire into the dozer line. Firefighters continue to patrol, mop-up, and secure the fire around structures in the Entiat Valley while strengthening primary and secondary firelines in the Entiat River drainage. Masticators and fire crews are making progress brushing and removing overgrown vegetation along Potato Creek Road and a dozer has begun constructing the McKenzie Ridge fireline. With fire behavior moderated, crews are also beginning to engage the fire more directly along its edge in Gene Creek.

Aircraft were grounded yesterday after several attempts to reach the fireline were unsuccessful due to poor visibility from thick smoke. Firefighters continue structure preparation in Trinity today and along Lake Chelan South Shore north to Lucerne. Thunderstorms delayed the insertion of a hand crew into Junior Point again yesterday; crews will make another attempt today to begin strengthening fireline along the Devil’s Backbone Trail system and secure spot fires across the trail.

Structure preparations continue in the Lake Wenatchee and Plain areas, Entiat Valley, and in the Fish Lake and Alder communities. A hotshot crew also arrived yesterday and will work on the eastern side of the Chiwawa River drainage in coordination with a dozer constructing fireline toward Grouse Creek, engaging the fire as directly as conditions allow.

Lightning passed through the area the past few days and ignited a handful of new fires nearby. Firefighters and equipment responded to these new fires, with a strike team of engines and two dozers Additional fire resources remain available to assist with any new local initial attack fires as requested.

Closures and Safety: Remember to stay near the shore and clear of firefighting aircraft scooping water from area lakes and rivers.

There is a closure order for the Wenatchee River and Entiat Ranger Districts and Chelan Ranger District due to the Little Giant Fire, as well as a forest-wide campfire ban. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the fire area. Unauthorized drone activity is prohibited under this TFR, as firefighting helicopters and aircraft cannot fly when drones are present.

Evacuations:

An interactive map shows the level 1, 2, and 3 evacuations in Chelan County for communities near the fire and you can sign up for evacuation notifications in your area on Everbridge. Residents should be prepared for changes in evacuation levels as fire conditions can rapidly change. A Red Cross shelter has been established at Entiat Warehouse Community Church, 14916 US-97A, Entiat, WA. For info call 509-784-2710.

Weather and Smoke:

There remains a chance for showers and thunderstorms today, and storms over the fire area could bring gusty outflow winds. Temperatures will be 70-80 degrees today with upslope winds 4 to 8 mph, becoming southwest-west 8 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Smoke information is available on the daily smoke outlook and WASmoke Blog.

Air quality alerts and tips to protect from smoke impacts and additional resources from Chelan-Douglas Health District are also available.