NACHES, Wash. – The Evans Canyon Fire has reached an estimated 69,920 acres in size as of Friday morning. It is still 10% contained and firefighters don’t expect to have it completely contained until the beginning of November.
734 firefighting personnel are currently assigned to the wildfire which is burning about eight miles northwest of Naches. It started on Monday afternoon and has grown quickly amid hot and windy conditions. Near record temperatures are expected Friday.
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Level 3 evacuations remain in place in Yakima and Kittitas counties. A map of the latest evacuations in Yakima County can be found here. A map showing evacuated areas in Kittitas County can be found here.
If you are evacuated and need shelter, you can call the Red Cross 509-594-0016 for help.
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According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, 150,000 acres in the Wenas wildlife area have been closed due to the fire. A map of the closed area can be viewed here.
On Friday, crews plan to continue to protect homes and construct containment lines to try to stop the fire from reaching the Kittitas Valley, Wenas Valley and Naches.
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Community members wanting to help have been going out of their way to donate water and other supplies, however the Yakima Valley Emergency Management team indicated on Thursday that it would be better to direct donations to the Red Cross.
“We have seen and heard many comments on how can folks may donate to the firefighters. We all appreciate the compassion and assistance; however, the firefighters are good with water and supplies. Many donations coming from different places can create a more difficult logistical and management situation. The best way to help now would be to contact the American Red Cross to make a monetary donation, especially to assist with local evacuees. Or donate to your favorite local charity or organization. The American Red Cross has been a huge help with sheltering on this wildfire incident. Due to COVID, most, if not all, agencies are not accepting physical water/food donations.”
As the owner of local camping business “ROAM Beyond” was forced to evacuate, he expressed his concern regarding climate change. He wrote in part:
“As we were quickly breaking down our glampsite early this morning, I was truly overwhelmed with emotion, being at the front line of the climate crisis. There are thousands of front line workers risking their lives to protect this area. And there are thousands of others like me who are working to raise awareness and spur action across the planet. Around the world, an increasing number of families and businesses are similarly threatened by natural disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis. While we at ROAM Beyond have built resilience into our products and business strategy, many do not have the ability to do the same.
ROAM Beyond will push through this immediate challenge, but it is the bigger climate crisis that will continue to loom over us until we collectively and systemically take action. We need to join together to ensure that this crisis is treated with the urgency it deserves. Just as our business has been severely impacted by this fire, more urgently, all of humanity is being impacted. The time to act is now.”
A message from our Founder: “Last night, ROAM Beyond faced a painful and taxing challenge: the canyon that is home to…
Posted by ROAM Beyond on Thursday, September 3, 2020
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A community meeting to provide an update on the Evans Canyon Fire is being held virtually Friday on the Southeast Washington Interagency Managment Team’s Facebook page. That’s expected to start at 5 p.m.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.