Evacuation notices from the Pioneer Fire for the town of Stehekin have been reduced to Level 2. 

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Chelan County Emergency Management announced the downgrade from Level 3 Sunday for the Stehekin Valley, from High Bridge south to Adams Point. 

Helicopter dump on the Pioneer Fire - Chelan County Emergency Management
Helicopter dump on the Pioneer Fire - Chelan County Emergency Management
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All areas to the south of Adams Point are at Level 1. 

Emergency Management is reminding the public that visitors are still not allowed in the Level 2 evacuation area of Stehekin. Level 3 evacuations had been in place since July 28.

Also, the Red Cross Shelter at Chelan United Methodist Church closes Monday morning 

Crews have made progress on the Pioneer Fire, which is now 23 percent contained after being held at 13 percent earlier. 

On Sunday, actions continued to protect the community of Stehekin and prevent the spread of the fire in the area.  

Aerial firefighting efforts focused on cooling hot spots with bucket drops of water.  

Firefighters also patrolled in and around buildings in the community for hazards such as rolling burning logs or downed powerlines that may have occurred after thunderstorms passed through the area Saturday night.  

Cleanup of brush and vegetation east of Manson continued following construction of contingency lines.  

Crews patrolled the south side of the fire on the lookout for new fires resulting from recent lightning. 

The Pioneer Fire continues to burn 38,727 acres after igniting on June 8. 

There are currently 679 personnel assigned to the fire, according to the incident management team. The personnel are divided into seven crews. 

Also, 6 helicopters, 21 engines, 25 water tenders, 11 heavy equipment are currently assigned to the fire 

The cause of the Pioneer Fire is not known and is under investigation. 

Counties with the worst droughts in Washington

Washington State is continuing its drought emergency into 2024, citing low snowpack and hot, dry forecasts. Here are the counties most affected by drought, based on data from the U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Washington with the worst droughts in the week leading up to July 16, 2024.

Note: "Abnormally dry" is not considered to be a drought, but is included as a separate data point.

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton

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