STEHEKIN, Wash. — New images from Stehekin show flames and smoldering brush close to the main road into town from where the ferry docks.
The flames are part of the Pioneer Fire, which is burning more than 37,000 acres in Chelan County. The fire started June 8 and has been creeping closer to the town of Stehekin since late July, prompting a Level 3, get out now, evacuation alert.
Many residents and business owners, like Krissa Jester with Mountain Barge Services, opted to stay in the town to help protect their homes and businesses.
"The fire did creep down all the way to the lake and in two spots. And so they're having to deal with a lot of rocks, you know, falling onto the road, so they're just trying to be safe. And so we're dealing with that, but we have a sigh of relief," Jester said.
Jester has been updating her community over Facebook with her daily posts about the fire's activity.
Pioneer Fire burning near Stehekin
"As it keeps creeping closer it, you know, you're constantly just making sure you have your plan set in place, what you're going to do," Jester said. "We're being very smart."
Jester said the town is resilient. The firefighters have been working very hard to protect homes and historical buildings.
"I work for the barge company," Jester said. "We have to haul in all their fire trucks, their fire engines, their supplies, the food for these businesses that are providing for the firefighters."
A community meeting was held Wednesday in Manson to discuss the firefighting efforts from the sky and on the ground.
"The only smoke and heat that I was able to see on the entire fire perimeter was in Stehekin today," said Scott Grasmick, the operations section chief.
Grasmick spoke about the aircraft on the fire and how helpful it has been to get water on the flames.
"Today, we focused on putting a type 1 helicopter there all day," Grasmick said.
Seeing the firefighters near Stehekin work tirelessly to keep it away from the property has been a relief.
"If this fire doesn't continue getting checked up and keep getting pushed up instead of letting it come down into the valley floor, you're going to look at a lot of homes being at risk," Jester said.
Jester is hopeful that won't happen, and soon, visitors will be back at Stehekin to help support their community.
"A great way to help this community is three months out of the year, is where the majority of us get our main income, right. We have lost that, and let's hope that's the only thing we lose for this year," Jester said.
Nick Davis has called Stehekin home for 20 years. Now his town is under pressure.
"Next to God, my family, my friends, there is nothing that I love more than this community,” Davis said.
Chelan County Emergency Management sent out a level 3 evacuation notice.
"It means go now," said Rich Magnussen, an Emergency Management Specialist. "Our message to people is we want them to get out. It is about life, safety, it is about protecting people, but in Washington people have the right to stay and protect their property."
Magnussen estimated that there are still 77 people in Stehekin.
"All it takes is the wind to shift direction towards the west or toward the north and then your anxiety definitely comes up,” said Matt Phelan. "I just want to do everything that I can to help protect t