Cooler weather slows Pioneer Fire

STEHEKIN— The Pioneer Fire has shown signs of slowing down as firefighters make progress on containment efforts. As of Tuesday, July 30, the fire has burned 33,277 acres and is now 15%.

Cooler and damper weather conditions on Monday helped moderate fire activity, allowing crews to bolster fireline preparations and community protection measures. Firefighters took advantage of the reduced fire activity to continue fireline preparations and other protective measures along the lakeshore and in Stehekin.

Helicopters were deployed to drop water on scattered hot spots and slow fire spread around Hazard Creek. Crews continued mop-up operations and patrols around structures along the lakeshore in the Fourmile Creek area. In Stehekin, which remains under a Level 3 "Get out now!" evacuation order, the Structure Protection Group continued to improve and widen firelines.

Today's firefighting efforts will focus on continued aerial water drops along the ridgeline south of Hazard Creek, structure protection along the lakeshore, and further improvements to community protection lines in the Stehekin area. Crews are also monitoring the Lone Fir drainage for any fire activity and remain ready for initial attack on potential new fire starts.

Weather forecasts indicate a warming and drying trend starting tomorrow, with significantly higher temperatures expected by the end of the week. This could potentially increase fire activity in the coming days.

Evacuation orders remain in effect, with Level 1, 2, and 3 notices still active in various areas around the Pioneer Fire. Forest closures are also still in place for parts of the North Cascades National Park and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 5:30 PM at Manson High School to provide residents with the latest information on the fire situation. The meeting will also be streamed live on the Pioneer Fire Information Facebook page.

As the firefighting effort continues, authorities urge residents to stay informed about evacuation notices and air quality alerts due to smoke from the fire.