Wildfire season begins

Photo by Lee Lageschulte

For the first time this year, State fire assistance has been mobilized under the Washington State Fire Services Resource Mobilization Plan in support of local firefighters working to contain the Tenth Street Fire located in Douglas County, near the city of East Wenatchee.  

Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste authorized the mobilization of state firefighting resources on May 27, 2023, at 9:00pm at the request of Deputy Fire Chief Andy Davidson, Wenatchee Valley Fire Department.

 

The Tenth Street Fire started on May 27, 2023, at approximately 3:36pm. This fire is estimated at 250 acres and growing. It is burning in grass and sagebrush and is threatening homes, crops, and infrastructure. Level 1 evacuations are in effect at this time. The fire cause is currently under investigation.

 

In the meantime, Puget Sound is getting some of the smoke from wildfires burning in Canada. Almost all of it is flowing down east of the Cascades but we are getting enough here for dramatic orange sunsets.