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Quick Facts

Size: 1754 acres | Start Date: July 17, 2024 | Location: 17 miles west of Mazama, WA | Containment: 0% Cause: Lightning | Resources Assigned: 185

CURRENT SITUATION: The fire remains on the northeast side of State Route 20, burning in timber on extremely steep slopes between Mebee Pass and Mount Hardy. Single tree torching may produce short-range spotting up to half-a-mile downwind. Crews have wrapped the Washington Pass SnoTel site and have installed sprinklers and hose line.

TODAY: A red flag warning is in effect for the Easy Fire and portions of western slopes of the Washington Cascades for Friday and Friday night for scattered lightning and gusty outflow winds. With expected wind gusts of 40 mph, firefighters may be forced to take a tactical pause during those events. Storms will start off dry but may bring wetting rains. Of primary concern to fire managers is the possibility of new starts and erratic winds that could rapidly escalate fire behavior. The fire will continue to finger uphill above Swamp Creek toward Mount Hardy with the potential for spotting over the ridgetop into the headwaters of the Methow River.

WEATHER AND SMOKE: Thunderstorms on Friday will start off dry with potential for new fire starts. Storms will slowly transition wet with the potential for heavier rain cores to produce upwards of a quarter of an inch. If these heavier rain cores fall over the Easy Fire, there is concern for small debris flows. The Easy fire will continue to experience light southeast winds on Friday then transition to northwest winds in the evening and through the day on Saturday with afternoon temperatures remaining in the 70s and 80s.

Expect good to moderate air quality across most of the communities in the Methow Valley and in the Lake Chelan area on Friday, with periods of smoke possible in the late afternoon and evening. Stehekin will likely experience moderate smoke throughout the day, while Omak and Brewster should have good air quality.

CLOSURES: State Route 20 is closed in both directions between Granite Creek (MP 148) and Easy Pass Trailhead (MP 157): https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/. State Route 20 will remain closed through the weekend as crews continue working to mitigate hazards. Washington Department of Transportation will reevaluate conditions on Monday August 12, 2024. The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has closures in place for trails within the fire area: https://bit.ly/EasyFireClosures. This closure includes a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail. Campfires are prohibited. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place over the fire: https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_6779.html. Unauthorized drone activity is prohibited under the TFR.

EVACUATIONS: There are no evacuations in place for the Easy Fire. Visitors recreating in the area should be vigilant of surroundings and stay out of closed areas.

InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident.../waowf-easy-fire

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560760893080

Fire Information Line: 541-861-5808, 8 AM to 8 PM

Email: 2024.easy@firenet.gov