Chelan County closes Horse Lake Road amid heightened wildfire risk

WENATCHEE — Chelan County closed Horse Lake Road on Aug. 18, citing concerns of wildfire. The area has the potential to remain closed over the next several weeks.

Horse Lake Road leads to the popular Horse Lake Reserve in Wenatchee. The reserve spans 1,700 acres and is considered a critical piece of protected open lands, according to Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. It is a key site for native shrub-steppe restoration and wildlife corridor protection, while offering a trail system for hikers, bikers and equestrians.

Chelan County officials said the decision was driven out of concern for potential new wildfires and limited firefighting resources. It came at the request of the Wenatchee Valley Fire Department and the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust.

“We will close the road today and open it back up when conditions allow,” Eric Pierson, Chelan County Public Works director and county engineer. “Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to put a hard date on reopening, but we will make those decisions after future discussions with the fire department and land trust.”

Chelan County code allows the Board of County Commissioners to close a roadway if extreme hazardous conditions exist or there are concerns for public safety. Areas around Horse Lake Road are extremely dry and the vicinity is vulnerable to wildfire, according to the resolution commissioners signed today.

The National Interagency Fire Center has declared a Level 5 Preparedness across the nation, which means national firefighting resources are dedicated to major wildfires burning throughout the country. In Washington, three large wildfires are now burning a combined 428,000 acres.

Chelan County currently has one of the largest wildfires in the state. The Little Giant Fire was reported at nearly 136,000 acres and 10 percent contained as of Tuesday morning.