Lone Mountain Fire Burns Above Lake Chelan

Date: July 16, 2014
Contact: David Bauman, 360-854-7362

The Lone Mountain Fire is burning in the North Cascades National Park approximately five miles northwest of Stehekin, Washington in the Boulder Creek drainage.

The fire is in rough, high mountains inside an area burned in the Boulder Butte Fire of 1994. “It’s very steep terrain,” said Park Fire Management Officer Dee Townsend, “with a lot of dead fallen and dead standing trees and brush.” 

A helicopter pilot spotted the fire after thunderstorms passed through. The fire was reported at about 15 acres Tuesday evening. The pilot also reported a burning log nearby but observers could not locate the second fire on Tuesday. 

For now, firefighters are keeping their eyes on the Lone Mountain Fire, which is best accessed by air. Smokejumpers are staffing the fire and Townsend has ordered additional firefighters to assist as they become available. “There are not many firefighters available because of what’s going on around us,” said Townsend, referring to the many fires burning in the Pacific Northwest right now. “Safety is our first priority,” said Townsend. She added that the Lone Mountain Fire is not currently threatening life or property, which means that other fires have priority, but that additional firefighters should be on the ground in Boulder Creek fairly soon. 

For safety, park officials have closed the Boulder Creek Trail from Hooter Camp to War Creek Pass. 

Townsend is expecting the fire to grow and add smoke to the skies of the Stehekin and Methow valleys. She also stated that the Lone Mountain Fire would “have to crawl up and over the ridges that include Rennie Peak and Reynolds Peak” to get to the Twisp River drainages. “To get to the Stehekin area, the fire would have to burn five miles over ridges and downhill” through an area that was burned in the Rainbow Bridge Fire only four years ago. 

For more information: Contact David Bauman at 360-854-7362.