Little Giant Fire nears 60,000 acres

OKANOGAN–WENATCHEE NATIONAL FOREST — The Little Giant Fire has reached nearly 60,000 acres as of Tuesday morning.

The fire is located in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, about 22 miles northwest of Leavenworth, and has spread to Lake Chelan since it was started by lightning on Jul 15.

Officials said firefighters are taking advantage of low winds and repressed fire behavior to contain the spot fires near and around Lake Chelan on the northeastern side of the fire. Dozer lines and handlines that were established near Tommy Creek are holding. Crews are also working to construct dozer lines from Mud Creek to McKenzie Ridge, over to Slide Ridge and into Snowberry Bowl.

Fire activity greatly moderated over Monday night, according to officials, but remained active about 6,000 feet in elevation. During this time, crews focused on protecting structures and property through additional preparations in the Entiat River valley. They were also able to open up Shady Pass Road from Entiat to the east. Firefighters also engaged the fire to keep it from making a run in the Entiat Ridge area of the FS5900 Road and Tommy Creek Road, officials said.

For the spot fire on the north shore of Lake Chelan, officials said firefighters were able to gain access near Safety Harbor Creek, actively scouting ways to engage the fire near Safety Harbor Creek Trail, the South Navarre and to Summit Creek Trail, as well as tying into the 8020 Road.

According to officials, the main goal is to keep the fire on the north shore of Lake Chelan as small as possible. 

Crews have been actively engaging the fire on the northeast side near the Chikamin Ridge Trailhead. On the northwest perimeter, officials said the fire is holding at Maple Creek, with access to the Trinity Mine remaining open through the Chiwawa River Road. Firefighters are working to finish the handline along the Chiwawa Ridge. They are also conducting defensive firing operations near Dirtyface Lake to Chikamin Creek Trail to build an anchor point.

Work on the Pole Ridge shaded fuel break is continuing, with positive progress on the south end of the fire.

WIth high pressure dominating, officials expect warmer and drier conditions persisting through Wednesday. Inversions are expected to break around 2 p.m., leading to better smoke dispersal as atmospheric mixing and instability increase. 

Firefighters are also continuing to work on the Pole Ridge shaded fuel beak and making good progress on the south side of the fire. Additionally, a thermal belt along mid-slope and ridgetop areas may bring elevated temperatures and poor humidity recovery from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. 

An Air Quality Alert has been issued for Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman Counties until further notice due to current and expected smoke from regional fires. Officials recommend taking precautions to protect yourself from wildfire smoke, such as limiting time outside.

The Entiat Warehouse Community Church is available as an emergency shelter, located at 14916 US-97A, Entiat. It can be contacted at: 509-784-2710. Officials said the Red Cross is also establishing an evacuation shelter at 324 East Johnson Avenue in Chelan. Phone: 253-797-8788.

Up to date evacuation advisories can be found on Chelan County Emergency Management’s website or Facebook.

Smoke outlook and air quality levels can be monitored by locating the North Central Washington/Little Giant outlook at wildlandfiresmoke.net, or by visiting wasmoke.blogspot.com. Residents who are aging, pregnant or have pre-existing conditions are especially vulnerable to smoke, as well as young children.

The Forest Service has implemented a broad forest closure to ensure unsafe areas are closed off to the public in the case of rapidly changing conditions. The broad closure also addresses the multiple access points to the forest. Updated closures can be found on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest website.

Updates for the Little Giant Fire can be found Little Giant Fire Information 2026 Facebook page and by visiting inciweb.wildfire.gov. Public information is also available via hotline, 509-776-6953, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., or by emailing 2026.littlegiant@firenet.gov.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media