Traveling Hindsights – by Dominic Urbano

The Chiwaukum Creek Fire

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by

Dominic Urbano
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This fire has been burning for a few days now and I have been able to watch the show just by stepping out my back door. The wind has kept the smoke and fire moving south, away from my home, but smoke is choking Leavenworth and evacuations are happening as close as a half mile away at River Road.

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Smoke from the Chiwaukum Creek fire make a dramatic scene south of Plain WA on July 16th. Evacuations were started just a half mile from here and smoke filled the valley and Leavenworth WA.

With strong winds and temperatures well over 100, the Chiwaukum Creek fire grew rapidly on July 16th. With huge columns of smoke that were seen as far away as Seattle this has developed into a large and dangerous fire.

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As the evening of July 16th faded into night the Chiwaukum Creek fire continued to grow with the strong winds and heavy fuels of this Pacific Northwest forest. With temperatures of over 100 degrees on this day, the recipe for rapid fire growth was complete.
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Resources from all over the state, such as this brush truck and crew from Gig Harbor, have been converging on the Chiwaukum fire.
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On the morning of July 17 – Firefighters from the Snohomish County Fire District 26 at Gold Bar, our neighbors just to the west side of Stevens Pass, sharpen tools as they wait for their assignment on the Chiwaukum Fire.
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A Chelan County Sheriff checks property owners in and out of River Road in Plain WA on the evening of July 17th. The level 3 evacuation notice has people working overtime to secure their belongings and clear the area. A shift in the wind could bring the fire down onto River road.
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Taken on the morning of July 18th this photo of the Chiwaukum Creek fire from the Sugar Loaf fire lookout shows the southerly direction of the smoke floating along the east slopes of the Cascades.
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On the morning of July 19th there is still a dramatic sky, but it is from clouds rather than smoke. A brown haze from the Chiwaukum Creek fire hangs low on the horizon. The cooler temperatures will help but a strong wind continues to blow.

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