Wildfire burning near historic Washington town only accessible by boat or plane

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A 3,811-acre wildfire burning on the northwest side of Lake Chelan in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness is spreading within 10 miles of Stehekin — a historic Washington town not accessible by road.

The Pioneer fire, which ignited near Pioneer Creek on the afternoon of June 8, is growing northwest along Meadow Creek and to the south along Price Creek, firefighters managing the incident said Monday morning. While firefighters have no containment of the fire, Washington State Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Ryan Rodruck told KOIN 6 News that Stehekin is not threatened by the Pioneer Fire at this time.

“Stehekin is not threatened by the fire and is not under any level of an evacuation order,” Rodruck said.

Evacuation orders have been issued for lakeside areas southwest of Stehekin from the north end of Moore Point to Canoe Creek. Evacuation warnings are also in effect for Flick Creek Campground and the Fourmile Creek Camping Area.

Stehekin, a town of 95 permanent residents, is sought out by tourists for its isolation. Although the town has 15 miles of roadway, these roads are not accessible by any outside roads or highways. Stehekin is only reachable by boat, ferry or seaplane.

“No outside roads lead into Stehekin,” the National Park Service states. “It is not possible to drive into Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.”

Without roads, firefighters are relying on boats and helicopters to get crews and equipment to the fire. Firefighters are actively working to build fire lines in the area. According to Monday morning’s wildfire report, northwest winds and greenery are slowing the fire’s spread.

“[The] Pioneer Fire is burning on steep, rugged slopes with limited access near the north shore of Lake Chelan,” the latest Pioneer Fire update provided by the fire’s incident command team states. “Fire personnel are accessing the fire by boat and are working to establish fire lines and hose lays to stop the fire's spread. Aerial resources are being used to drop water on the fire and to monitor fire activity and movement.”

Lake Chelan is a popular tourist destination, drawing more than 20,000 visitors and seasonal residents to the area during the summer months. Firefighters expect to have the fire fully contained by Oct. 31.