Perry Fire Saturday Update

Contact: NOCA Public Affairs Office

SEDRO WOOLLEY, Wash. - There was a smoke inversion across the fire area over the past couple of days moderating fire behavior and hampering aerial support due visibility. The Perry Fire is estimated at 1,477 acres with moderate backing and flanking fire behavior. Firefighters are boated into the Little Beaver drainage daily to work on point protection for park infrastructure. Extremely steep, difficult, and cliffy rugged terrain pose significant threats to firefighter safety which limits direct handline work. Fire managers continue a full suppression strategy with aerial delivered water.

Firefighters will continue structure assessment and prep at Little Beaver and Silver Creek boat-in camps. Crews will begin to position pumps and hoses along park infrastructure for point protection in the Little Beaver drainage. Smoke conditions limit visibility across the fire area which can hamper aerial support. As conditions and visibility safely allow, two Type-3 helicopters will provide aerial delivered water operations and firefighter support to aid in a full suppression strategy. The North Cascades Fire Crew is staged and available for initial attack operations with the upcoming weather and thunderstorms in the area.

Today will be partly sunny with warm temperatures. A chance of showers and thunderstorms with cooler temperatures begin this afternoon through Thursday of next week. Precipitation is not expected to be widespread wetting rains, but fire behavior is expected to moderate under these conditions.

Visitors should check the park Fire Closures page prior to a visit for up-to-date trail and camp closure information. Closures are in place to protect the public. Visit Inciweb for up-to-date information on the Perry Fire.

Smoke remains in the area due to active fires across the region. Take precautions when recreating outdoors when heavy smoke is present. Individuals who are sensitive to poor air quality or those with respiratory problems may want to limit outdoor activities. Review smoke forecasts at https://fire.airnow.gov.

Drones are prohibited in the area during emergency fire response. If you fly, we can't! If there are drone incursions, all helicopter flights will be grounded. Keep drones away from wildfires.

Fire restrictions remain in effect in all areas of the park complex. Campfires are banned in all portions of North Cascades National Park Service Complex - North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area, and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. This includes all National Park Service lands and campgrounds along State Route 20 as well as Hozomeen and the entire Stehekin Valley.

www.nps.gov/noca