Fires Burning Northwest of Plain Still Uncontained

The White River and Irving Peak fires burning northwest of Plain are both still 0% contained, with about 680 acres burned in total.

The fires are reportedly burning in steep terrain about 14 miles from Plain, making firefighting efforts difficult for crews.

Elisabeth Dare, Public Information Officer for the fire's Type 3 Incident Management Team, said the primary focus for crews today will be preparing protections on threatened buildings in the area.

"They are assessing dozer lines and some control lines in that area as well to send in heavy equipment and crews," Dare said.

All evacuation levels remain in place. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office has issued a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation notice for five homes on Sears Creek Road, while a Level 2 (Get Set) notice is in place for White River Road. A Level 1 (get ready) evacuation notice has been issued for Little Wenatchee Road.

Over 210 personnel are on scene between the two fires with more help on the way.

Two aircraft are currently assigned to the fires. Those visiting Lake Wenatchee are asked to stay off of the water for the sake of the aircraft.

A more advanced Type 2 Incident Management Team will take command of the fire Tuesday morning.

The weather outlook looks more challenging to firefighters. A high-pressure system is continuing to build, resulting in hotter and drier conditions throughout the week. Temperatures today will be warming to around 82 degrees with northwest winds from 5-10 miles per hour and gusts up to 20 miles per hour in the afternoon.