Incident Commander : Ryan Nicholls
Size:1060 acres Incident start date: June 13, 2025
Cause: Lightning Location: 36 miles northwest of Entiat
Fuels: Dead and down timber
Resources: 2 crews 3 helicopters 52 overhead 1 water tenders Total personnel:109
Current situation: The Pomas Fire is burning in heavy dead and down timber from the 2015 Wolverine Fire in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Winds continue to spread the fire north into Ice Creek as well as south on both sides of the Entiat River in steep terrain. Crews are reporting active spotting and group tree torching as the wind pushes the fire.
Firefighters and heavy equipment are actively reopening containment lines that were used in past fires in the Tommy Creek and Shady Pass area. Crews have also been wrapping key infrastructure, such as the Myrtle Creek bridge, with protective fire-resistant materials.
“The forest is drier now than it was in 2015. After dropping 377,000 gallons of water on it starting on day one, the fire still is actively torching out there,” said Incident Commander, Ryan Nicholls. “Our main focus is life safety and protecting values at risk.”
The forecast is for warmer temperatures and windy conditions. The large amounts of dead timber in the area, winds, and low humidity with critically low fuel moistures continue to challenge safe and effective firefighting efforts.
The Southeast Washington Type 3 Incident Management team took over day to day operations of the incident on June 22, at 8 AM.
Evacuations: None, there are no structures or homes threatened at this time.
Closures: The Glacier Peak Wilderness on the Entiat Ranger District, including Ice Lakes, is now closed for fire operations and public safety. Additionally Silver Falls trail and campground are now also closed for firefighter and public safety. The fire is 12 air miles from the Pacific Crest Trail and currently poses no threat to that trail. https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee/alerts/area-and-trails-closure-due-pomas-fire-entiat-ranger-district
Smoke: Smoke is forecasted to be visible from nearby communities including Wenatchee,Chelan, and Winthrop. For more information on smoke and air quality please visit: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/