Fire fighters near Wenatchee are finally getting a handle on the Douglas County Complex fires near Waterville, Washington.
The Douglas County Complex started on the evening of July 10 as a thunderstorm passed through Waterville on the edge of the city of Wenatchee, starting numerous small fires that eventually merged into two large ones. As of today, 22,212 acres have burned just 10 miles away from city limits. While no structures have been lost, many homes are threatened, and 300 citizens were ordered to evacuate on Sunday as part of a Level 3 evacuation order (which was reduced to Level 1 later that day).
Over 270 personnel have worked through the weekend to put the fire at 80% containment today, and with fire line now strongly formed around the area, crews are shifting focus to interior hot spots and assessing rehabilitation needs around the fire perimeter.
Up-to-date information on the Waterville/Douglas County Complex fires can be found via InciWeb.