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The Pioneer Fire is burning in the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness Area in the Chelan Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and on private land 31 miles northwest of Chelan. The communities of Stehekin, Chelan, and Manson are open and continue to welcome visitors.  

Today, Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 7 assumed command of the fire at 6 a.m. Fire managers continue to employ a full-suppression strategy. They are using a range of firefighting tactics as appropriate to the resources and conditions and to ensure firefighter and public safety.  

In North Cascades National Park Service Complex, firefighters are now working to reopen old fire lines. They are proceeding up the road starting at the landing, moving into Stehekin. Crews are assessing the next eight miles past Rainbow Falls to determine resource protection needs. They are laying hose lines to protect infrastructure and will be cooperating with Chelan Public Utility District to remove hazard trees as they work near power lines. 

Crews are progressing along the lakeshore safeguarding specific assets and resources such as private property and recreation infrastructure. They are testing pumps and sprinkler systems. Down lake, near Coyote Ridge and Nelson Butte, firefighters are developing contingency fire lines along the 8200 (Mitchell Creek) road system with equipment coming in to support the road preparations.  

Helicopters continue to support ground crews with substantial water drops as weather allows. The fire is spreading slowly in most areas due to early season moisture in thicker and larger vegetation and patchy vegetation in between rocky areas. Streams in the fire area also help to check fire spread. Where wind aligns with slopes, the fire is spreading more quickly, especially on southwest slope faces that are hotter and drier. 

The air quality outlook is at https://bit.ly/PioneerFireSmoke. Learn more about smoke at smokeready.org. 

WEATHER: The weather forecast is hot and dry today with southeast winds. A cold front is forecast tomorrow with decreasing temperatures and increasing chance of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms with an increase in northwest winds. 

EVACUATIONS: Evacuation levels are unchanged since June 16th. Visit https://t.ly/QoH9w for updates.