Wildfire near Chelan, WA prompts emergency evacuations

Published July 1, 2026 3:51 PM PDT

A wildfire sparked near Lake Chelan on Wednesday, prompting emergency evacuations for some people living near the popular holiday getaway spot.

The Henderson Fire is burning just north of the Lake Chelan Municipal Golf Course, and firefighters are conducting a rapid air attack to prevent the fire from spreading.

Henderson Fire Near Lake Chelan

Henderson Fire near Lake Chelan, captured from Wapato Point.

Chelan County Emergency Management has since downgraded all Level 3 ‘Go Now’ evacuations for the wildfire to a Level 1 ‘Get Ready’ advisory.

The following areas are still under Level 1 evacuations:

  • Purtteman Gulch Road east to Cagle Gulch Road
  • Watson Lane south to Henderson Road

There are no longer any Level 3 and Level 2 evacuation orders. An updated map of evacuation zones can be found online via the Chelan County Emergency Incidents Map.

Henderson Fire Evacuation Map

Henderson Fire evacuation map

Officials erred on the side of caution when ordering earlier evacuation levels, as the fire appeared to spread rapidly within a few hours. However, it seems the spread of the fire has since slowed.

The emergency shelter at Lake Chelan Community Center closed at 6 p.m.

What we don't know:

The size of the fire is unknown at this time. The current containment level of the fire is also unknown.

Officials said the fire will be reevaluated in the morning, unless something changes.

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The Source: Information in this story came from Chelan County Emergency Management.

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