Firefighters Deal With Two East Wenatchee Fires Sunday

Firefighters in East Wenatchee dealt with a couple of small fires Sunday morning.

A squirrel triggered a power pole fire that spread over a 20-by-30-foot section of land in the 2100 block of Cascade.

Fire District spokesperson Kay McKellar says there were reports of a bang sound when the fire was reported at about 6:30am.

"They found at the base of the pole a deceased squirrel," said McKellar. "And that's probably what caused the electrical sound of the bang that they heard, was when the squirrel ran across the wire and tripped the wire."

Douglas County Fire District 2 was able to put the fire out quickly.

Another fire at 9th Street and Sunset Highway was burning pine trees and sage brush, and it was also put out quickly by firefighters at about 4:30am.

McKellar says crews are actually most concerned about people conducting fires on their own property while a ban is in place.

She says firefighters were called to one in the 500 block of Keller Avenue where they instructed residents put out the fire and informed them of the ban.

"We are in high fire danger level right now," McKellar said. "It's extreme, and we are encouraging people to follow the guidelines that there is no open burning right now."

Outdoor burning is prohibited in both Chelan and Douglas counties from June 1st to October 1st.

In Chelan County, attended recreational campfires are not allowed at any location without the approval of the fire chief of the local fire district. This does not include recreational campfires at private residences and hosted campgrounds.

Campfires at dispersed camping sites are not allowed.