Residents stay behind to protect homes from Pioneer Fire

After more than eight weeks, the Pioneer Fire was just 13% contained as of Friday night as the fire continued to make its way up Lake Chelan.

According to firefighters, no structures were damaged or lost, although flames sometimes reached within 20 feet of properties.

Crews attribute a significant sprinkler and hose system that they deployed over 27 miles.

The center of the fighting is now in Stehekin, a small community on Lake Chelan that is only accessible by boat (or plane).

“It’s been absolute hell,” Stehekin resident Darrel Newman said.

Newman’s cabin has been in his family for nearly 75 years.

“We fought a lot of fires there, but this was unbelievable,” he said.

Firefighters were able to keep his cabin standing, but Newman says the fire’s backfire burned about 75 percent of his property.

Stehekin’s rugged, steep terrain proved challenging and dangerous for firefighters. With no roads in or out, crews had to rely on barges and ferries to transport personnel and equipment from Chelan.

“I have to say, in my 20-plus year career doing this, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a fire that was almost entirely logistically supported by boat,” said Stephen Fillmore, deputy incident commander for California Fire Incident Management. Team 15.

Nearly 800 firefighters were battling the blaze on Saturday. Crews were sent from across the country, including California and New York.

Fillmore estimates that somewhere between 75-90 residents remained in Stehekin despite the community being under Level 3 evacuation.

Some took action to save lives and structures.

“It was a panic call,” said Nick Davis, who lives in Stehekin. “She said, ‘Hey, the fire got out of hand.’”

Davis gathered a few others and traveled by boat to help his friends in crisis.

“We set up lines and bombs,” he said. “I spent about four to five hours putting out the fire.”

Although all of the city’s structures are still standing, Davis knows the impact will be long-lasting.

“Here in Stehekin, we have about four months to make a living,” he said.

Without the work of the fire crews battling the blaze, his business, Stehekin Reservations, would have been closed all summer.

“Not only are you facing a 50% reduction in annual income, but the money you have in the bank is quickly disappearing because you are processing refunds,” he said.

Although firefighters advised residents to leave, those who stayed behind did their part to help crews on the ground.

“They’re transporting firefighters,” Fillmore said. “They kept the bakery open.”

“The families here came together and helped the firefighters,” Newman said.

Crews continue to fight 24 hours a day, both on the ground and in the air. They are also using an infrared drone to monitor hot spots. Still, there is no end in sight.

The U.S. Forest Service has warned several firefighters in the Pacific Northwest that the fire could continue to burn until the region experiences significant rain or snowfall this fall.

You can monitor the latest updates on Pioneer Fire here.