Stehekin community stands ground as Pioneer Fire threatens, firefighting efforts intensify

STEHEKIN – The Pioneer Fire reached over 37,800 acres by Aug. 11, and is continuing to burn in the Boulder Creek drainage above the Stehekin community.

Fire managers are continuing to prioritize structural protections and direct fire suppression when possible. Many residents remain, actively protecting their homes and supporting fire crews. 

“The ground gets incredibly steep, it's rocky, there's dead trees, and it's just extremely dangerous to put firefighters directly on those slopes. And so what we've been doing instead is using a lot of aircraft,” said Stephen Fillmore, Deputy Incident Commander with California Fire Incident Management Team 15.

Over the Aug. 10 weekend, fire managers were able to establish a mobile retardant base out of Mazama, allowing crews to drop retardant along ridgetops above Boulder Creek using Large Air Tankers (LATs) and Very Large Air Tankers (VLATs). One operation utilizing three LATs and one VLAT dropped over 23,000 gallons of retardant on the fire’s western edge. A Skycrane helicopter is also being used to drop retardant in narrow terrain.

Firefighting efforts have been challenged by the area’s remoteness and steep terrain, with an added complication of having to access Stehekin by boat.

According to Incident Commander Tom Clemo, 18 vessels are currently being used to transport people and gear from Chelan to Stehekin. Additionally, a daily barge system was recently implemented, in which a 400-ton barge makes daily trips between Chelan, Lucerne, and Stehekin to deliver equipment and supplies.

“In my 20-plus career of doing this, I don't think I've ever been on a fire that was entirely supported logistically via boat…It's extremely difficult. It's extremely unique,” said Fillmore.

The low-intensity burn of the fire over the past two months allowed time for crews and residents to prepare for the fire’s arrival, setting up sprinklers, miles of hoseline, and applying aluminized wrapping on structures. Since the fire encroached on the community a week ago, the fire has come within 20 feet of some places, but no structures have been lost. 

“There's a lot of community members that are still here, somewhere between, I think 75 and 90. It goes up and down. The one thing I will say is that the community has been in and around us. We've gotten to know a lot of them and some of the community members are even assisting the firefighter operations,” said Fillmore.

Stehekin Valley Ranch offered its facilities for crews to stay and operate out of, and the bakery has helped provide meals. Some residents are operating boats and shuttles, while others have taken on communications, sending out daily updates via email chains.

“People in Stehekin have always come together to help each other when there is a crisis going on,” said Patty Wilsey, who owns Stehekin Valley Adventures with her husband John. Wilsey has called Stehekin home for over 20 years.

With communication being a natural challenge and necessity in a remote community, Wilsey started using email long before the fire for daily updates, such as boat and shuttle schedules, for community members. Now, it’s a way for Wilsey to relay pertinent information, such as road closures, evacuation housing, and shuttle support.

“My thing I tell my kids when they're frustrated with people not communicating is, I tell them, ‘Don't participate in noncommunication. It's up to you to make it happen and not wait on somebody else,” said Wilsey.

Each morning the Wilseys attend the 8:15 a.m. fire briefing, then Wilsey spends the day coordinating and providing shuttle transportation for fire crews and residents to avoid congestion. With the Post Office closed, she also works with the postmaster to ensure residents still receive their mail. With resident authorization, the postmaster sorts mail on the boat to Stehekin, then brings it to Wilsey’s house for pick up.

“At some point you have to stop running around, taking pictures and talking to people and actually do your dishes, pay your bills, and do the normal things in life, but I have a very hard time settling down to do those things…It's like, I can't focus. I can focus on the really important stuff that's happening right now, but I can't focus on the pile on my desk,” said Wilsey.

According to Wilsey, energy in the community has ranged from slightly concerned, to very anxious, and even angry.

“There's a lot at stake. A lot of us that live here have small businesses…We're not going to be able to just move across town and still have our job with our salary. That's not happening if our place burns,” said Wilsey.

The community was issued a Level 3 "Get out now!" evacuation order on July 28. The Wilseys have two sets of bags packed, one for a few hours and another for a few days, but have yet to feel an urgent need to move in that direction. For now, Wilsey continues to make sure the community has what it needs for if and when the time comes.

“The people here are smart and prepared, and they have a plan,” said Wilsey. 

The Pioneer Fire started June 8, approximately 31 miles northwest of Chelan. The fire is believed to be human-caused and is still under investigation.

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