Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Washington's Little Giant Fire has burned roughly 150,000 acres near Leavenworth and now ranks as the nation's number two wildfire priority, with new evacuations and a state fire mobilization underway.
The Little Giant Fire in north-central Washington has grown into one of the most demanding wildfires in the country, and fire managers now rank it the number two priority in the nation. As of August 27 the fire had burned about 150,000 acres roughly 30 miles northwest of Leavenworth and stood near 23 percent containment, a figure expected to keep shifting as crews work active lines. Fresh evacuation orders went out this week, and the state authorized a fire mobilization to move more crews and equipment toward the flames.
It is not burning alone. Washington is carrying several large fires at once, including the Sinlahekin Fire near Tonasket, and the wider West has now burned past 7.9 million acres this year, well above the ten year average. Nearly 94 large fires were active across the country this week, with more than 21,000 firefighters and support staff assigned. Smoke from the Washington fires has streamed east across the state line into Idaho and Montana, pushing air quality into unhealthy territory for people far from any flame.
Smoke is the reach of a wildfire that touches the most households. Fine particles from wildfire smoke aggravate the lungs and the heart, and the people most at risk are children, older adults, and anyone with a breathing or heart condition. A box of rated N95 masks and a plan to keep indoor air clean matter as much as a packed bag when the sky turns brown.
For households near the fire, the work is the same work that pays off in any fast moving disaster. Knowing when to start a wildfire evacuation and leaving before the roads clog is what keeps a family together. A ready bug out bag turns a frantic scramble into a five minute exit. Because fire and wind take the power lines down first, backup power keeps the refrigerator cold and the phones charged while the grid is out.
The Little Giant Fire is still active and still growing, so treat every figure here as a snapshot rather than a final count. If you live where the smoke is thick or the fire is close, check your county emergency alerts today and confirm your household knows where to meet and when to go.
