Many sad to leave Lutheran retreat

LUCERNE – More than 150 guests from across the country fled Holden Village near Lake Chelan on Sunday, as officials worried the advancing Deep Harbor Fire could cut off access to the Lutheran retreat.

Jim Smith of Forest Lake, Minn., said he was disappointed – until he rode past the fire on the Lady of the Lake II and saw the heavy smoke.

“It was the right decision to leave,” he said, surrounded by luggage at Fields Point Landing after stepping off the boat with his wife and children.

Chelan County Sheriff Mike Harum declared a voluntary evacuation for Lucerne, Domke Lake and Holden Village at 10 p.m. Saturday, after the fire’s northern edge crawled over a ridge and sent burning debris rolling downhill to Bear Creek.

If the fire reaches the small cluster of vacation homes at Lucerne and the campgrounds around Domke Lake, it would cut off the 11-mile gravel road up Railroad Creek to Holden Village, a Lutheran-affiliated retreat with about 270 guests and staff on Sunday.

“The fire could run quickly, and your only escape would be that road,” said fire spokesman Scott Crawford. “They’re just not taking any chances, which is a real good idea.”

Crawford said the fire made no dramatic runs, but steadily climbed the ridge south of Bear Creek in recent days. In the hot, dry weather, water dropped from helicopters had little effect, he said.

When debris started rolling down from the crest of the ridge toward Bear Creek, leaving trails of fire behind on the hillside, it crossed a line that fire officials had already decided should trigger a Level 2 evacuation, where residents are encouraged to leave or at least begin packing.

Dianne Shiner, co-director of Holden Village, said the staff was prepared to evacuate the village in a few hours in a fire emergency.

The staff will leave today, she said, with a few staying behind to protect the property.

Elaine Smith, a guest from Paradise, Calif., said everyone stayed calm.

“It was extremely thorough, extremely well-planned,” said Rev. Ed Evans of Vancouver, Wash., who spent two weeks at the camp and was planning to spend another two there.

He said many were sad to leave.

“There was a lot of emotion there this morning – a lot of tears I noticed during the worship service,” Evans said. “It’s like family there.”

The fire had grown to 29,700 acres by Monday morning and was 80 percent contained.

Weather no relief for Dryden fire

\The Wenatchee World and Associated Press

DRYDEN – Firefighters largely escaped the dry thunderstorms and lightning predicted for central Washington over the weekend, but continued high temperatures and a new round of storms were forecast.

The latest weather prediction was bad news for crews battling a half-dozen blazes across the state, and for the hundreds of residents who remain evacuated from their homes.

About 275 homes remained evacuated Monday near Dryden in north central Washington after the Fischer fire jumped fire lines over the weekend and grew to 6,400 acres.

A single ember blew across a critical fire line, touching off an inferno that forced hundreds from their homes and escalated the Fischer Fire to the No. 1 priority in the nation on Sunday.

“We are at the mercy of the (fire) event right now,” said Glenn Hoffman, ranger of the Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth Ranger districts. “We’ve got explosive burning conditions.”

More than a dozen rural canyons stretching eastward from Cashmere to Leavenworth and north up the Chumstick Valley were under varying levels of evacuation notice, with 405 homes and about 800 people affected. No structures have been lost.

“We cannot predict which direction the fire is going to go,” said Bob Anderson, commander of the national fire management team that took over on Saturday. “We expect significant fire spread.”

He said above-normal temperatures, years of drought and extremely dry forest conditions have created a volatile fire situation on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains.

“This fire has the potential to go clear to the Columbia River, clear to Entiat Ridge and clear up the Chumstick,” he told a crowd of more than 150 people who attended an informational meeting Sunday afternoon.

The crowd gasped at the statement, some shaking their heads or hugging family members.

About 1,170 firefighters were assigned to the fire, which officials earlier had estimated at 30 percent containment.

The good news was a light northwest wind that was pushing the fire back on itself, aiding in the firefighting effort, said Carol Tocco, spokeswoman for the Northwest Coordination Center in Portland, Ore.

The forecast, however, called for temperatures as high as 100 degrees, low humidity and increasing winds with the threat of thunderstorms through today, said Robin DeMario, fire information officer.

“We only had four lightning strikes show up this weekend, and we’re really grateful,” DeMario said. “But there’s still potential for lightning storms this week.”

The human-caused fire that started Aug. 8 has repelled firefighting efforts from the start, jumping fire lines almost daily.

Firefighters had been able to hold the northern flank of the fire at Derby Canyon Road until late Saturday evening, when a single burning ember crossed over.

Although two helicopters quickly made back-to-back drops of water on the spot fire, it grew to 15 acres within a minute and 50 acres within five minutes, Anderson said. It torched more than 500 acres within an hour and by evening had traveled two miles north to threaten residences along Eagle Creek.

As the national priority, the fire has top billing for fire crews, aircraft and other resources, Anderson said. But it was little comfort to fire managers on Sunday as the wind-driven fire spread at will.

“We don’t need another retardant drop. We don’t need more water. We don’t need more firefighters,” Anderson said. “What we need is some help from the weather.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

Alina Langbehn, 6, center, and Vera A., 6, right, sit on a swing together at Drew Nielsen Neighborhood Park after school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett council votes to renovate Drew Nielsen Park

Construction on the $345,000 upgrade could start as early as this fall.

Northshore School District bus driver Stewart O’Leary pictured next to his buses shattered drivers side windshield on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Put me in, coach’: Bus driver back at work after struck by metal bar

Stewart O’Leary, a Northshore employee, has received national attention for his composure during a frightening bus trip.

Lynnwood councilor Joshua Binda speaks during a Lynnwood City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Does the Lynnwood Council VP live in Lynnwood? It’s hard to say.

Josh Binda’s residency has been called into question following an eviction and FEC filings listing an Everett address. He insists he lives in Lynnwood.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

An American Robin picks a berry from a holly tree on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Calling all birders for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count

The Audubon Society will hold its 28th annual Great Backyard… Continue reading

A view of one of the potential locations of the new Aquasox stadium on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024 in Everett, Washington. The site sits between Hewitt Avenue, Broadway, Pacific Avenue and the railroad. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Initial prep work for AquaSox stadium to start, with $200k price tag

The temporary agreement allows some surveying and design work as the city negotiates contracts with designers and builders.

Aaron Kennedy / The Herald
The Joann Fabric and Crafts store at 7601 Evergreen Way, Everett, is one of three stores in Snohomish County that will close as part of the retailer’s larger plan to shutter more than half of its stores nationwide.
Joann store closure plan includes Everett, Arlington, Lynnwood locations

The retail giant filed a motion in court to close approximately 500 stores in the U.S.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.