Closures lift in Lower Sugarloaf Fire area, visitors advised to enter with caution

CHELAN COUNTY — Fire closures from the recent Lower Sugarloaf Fire are beginning to lift as conditions in the area improve. However, fire officials warn of post-fire hazards in these areas, advising extreme caution and awareness when visiting.

On Oct. 22, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest closure that enveloped the fire footprint was reduced significantly to eight Forest Service roads, primarily in the Tillicum Creek Area. This lift included the reopening of the Swakane Unit of the Chelan Wildlife Area, as well as the shooting range on the site. 

Fire officials advise having an extra level of awareness when entering these areas – check which roads are closed on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest website for traveling. Continuous closures will be reevaluated for public safety and resource protection. 

Check weather conditions before travel, including conditions at higher elevations; flash floods and landslide risks are elevated below severely burned areas. Look below the surface of standing and moving water for floating logs, submerged trees and other debris. This debris could strike or entangle swimmers and boaters and damage other infrastructure.

Look up for upslope burned areas, snags, and exposed rocks that may fall. Look down for debris from falling rocks, erosion – especially at road and trail edges – and ash pits, which may form from root pockets or stumps of burned trees. 

The 42,980-acre Lower Sugarloaf Fire is 99 percent contained and is down to 53 personnel as of Oct. 23. The Lower Sugarloaf Fire started as a result of a dry lightning storm in early September, similar to the neighboring Labor Mountain Fire.

While the Labor Mountain Fire’s containment has progressed significantly in recent weeks – up to 92 percent as of Oct. 23 – widespread closures across the Labor Mountain Fire remain in effect.

“It’s understandable that many folks want to return to the areas they love before winter sets in. However, it was not too many days ago that we were still in a firefight on this incident. While operations are no longer primarily focused on fire suppression, there is still a lot of work that needs to be completed before it’s over and the area is safe to open,” fire officials said in an Oct. 17 update.

Crews are continuing to remove equipment, evaluate and remove hazard trees in burned areas, repair dozer line, handline, trails and roads.

Update closure information can be found by visiting the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest website: fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee.

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