On the evening of Friday August 7, the Little Giant Fire became highly active in the upper Entiat Valley under Red Flag Warning conditions. Despite the best efforts of firefighters, there were structures that were destroyed.
Fire activity in the area remained intense throughout Saturday and into that evening, making it unsafe for personnel to conduct a complete and accurate assessment of structure losses. As fire conditions improved slightly today, Chief Jones and personnel from the Entiat Fire Department entered the area to conduct an initial assessment. They determined that approximately 26 structures were destroyed. 2 primary residences, 3 cabins, and 21 outbuildings. However, unpredictable fire behavior, compromised trees, rolling debris, and other hazards continued to pose significant risks and limited their ability to complete a full assessment of the damage.
As soon as conditions allow, the Chelan County Assessor’s Office will conduct a comprehensive assessment on the damage to include the total number of structures lost.
Chelan County Emergency Management will attempt to contact individual property owners with additional information as it becomes available.
The Little Giant Fire remains highly active in the area. Property owners will be permitted to return to their properties as conditions are determined to be safe. Your safety remains our absolute top
priority. We understand how difficult and stressful this situation is for our community, and we greatly appreciate your continued patience, cooperation, and understanding during this challenging time.
For the latest information and updates on this, please refer to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and Chelan County Emergency Management websites and Facebook pages.
PLAIN – A busy summer of road work awaits this community on the northwestern edge of Chelan County starting with a five-day travel delay from Aug. 10 to 14.
Contractors with the Washington State Department of Transportation will repave sections of a 19-mile stretch of road from south to north, starting in Leavenworth and ending just outside of Plain.
A pilot car will guide travelers through the work zone. Delays up to 45 minutes are expected from 6 a.m.- 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10 through Friday, Aug. 14.
After the WSDOT paving project is complete, Chelan County has plans to build a retaining wall at Beaver Hill starting Aug. 28.
For current travel updates, visit WSDOT’s real-time travel map.
Regular Board Meeting: August 13, 2026 at 4:00pm
Bumgarner Meeting Room, 142 Pedoi Street, Manson WA 98831
1. Call to Order
2. Flag salute
3. Agenda additions and deletions
4. Public comment
5. Review and approval of minutes (Action Item)
a. July 09, 2026 Regular Meeting
6. Financial review
a. Monthly financial report
b. Review and approval of monthly voucher (Action Item)
7. New business
a. Approval of short-term vendor application document
8. Old business
a. Emergency responders dock
b. Marina driftwood refund requests
c. Chelanathon
d. Project updates:
i. Old Swim Hole redevelopment
ii. Leffler Finance Committee
9. Director’s Report
10. Adjournment
Update 7/29/2026
The Chelan County Coroner, Earl Crowe, has identified the recovered body as 66-year-old Barry Dechenne of Wenatchee.
The cause and manner of death is still unknown, and remains under investigation by the Coroner’s Office and Chelan County Sheriff’s Office detectives.
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On July 20, 2026, at approximately 7:38 p.m., the Chelan County Sheriff's Office received a report of human remains in the Columbia River near Rock Island Dam. Deputies responded to the area and confirmed the report.
Detectives and personnel from the Chelan County Coroner's Office responded by marine unit and recovered the remains from the river.
The Chelan County Coroner's Office is conducting an ongoing investigation to determine the identity of the deceased. Investigators have confirmed that the remains are not those of missing 18-year-old Erik Luna of Bridgeport.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is honored to announce the receipt of a $14,061.75 donation from the Lake Chelan Swim Foundation to support the Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Program. The Lake Chelan Swim Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, concluded operations in June 2026 after years of hosting its annual open-water swim in Manson. The event funded free community swim lessons and water safety education, programs that will continue through the Manson Parks and Recreation District.Led for decades by Manson resident and aquatic safety icon Viki Downey, alongside Director Judy Phelps and the Foundation's Board of Directors, the organization recognized the shared mission of the Chelan County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Program by directing its remaining funds to support marine public safety on Lake Chelan.
For many years, the Foundation and Marine Patrol worked together to promote water safety, support youth education, strengthen rescue preparedness, and encourage the safe enjoyment of Lake Chelan.
This donation reflects the value of that enduring partnership and a shared commitment to protecting residents and visitors alike.
"We are deeply grateful to Viki Downey, Judy Phelps, and the Lake Chelan Swim Foundation for their generosity and confidence in our Marine Patrol Program," said Sheriff Mike Morrison. "Their legacy has made Lake Chelan safer for generations, and we are honored to carry that commitment forward."
The donation also recognizes the Marine Patrol Program's continued success. Since rebuilding the program in 2023, it has earned statewide recognition with Marine Program of the Year, Marine Deputy of the Year, and a Marine Life Saving Award, while continuing to maintain a strong presence on Lake Chelan.
The Chelan County Sheriff's Office remains committed to providing exceptional marine public safety, strengthening community partnerships, and carrying forward the tradition of water safety and service established by the Lake Chelan Swim Foundation and Viki Downey.
NORTH BEND – Sometimes getting where you are going means taking a new route. That’s exactly what Interstate 90 travelers will need to do to stay connected to important travel alerts.
The Washington State Department of Transportation’s I-90 text message alert service ends Aug. 31, 2026. Travelers can continue receiving alerts by switching to the WSDOT mobile app, where they can sign up for push notifications about bridges, ferries, traffic, and now Snoqualmie Pass on I-90.
Moving I-90 text message alerts to the app provides a more cost-effective and user-friendly way for WSDOT to deliver the same important travel information while giving travelers access to additional travel tools and alerts in one place.
Making the switch is easy:
Snoqualmie Pass I-90 notifications cover the corridor from North Bend at milepost 33 to Vantage at milepost 138. Notifications will be sent when incidents, closures, construction or maintenance activities are expected to add 30 minutes or more to travel times. Notifications will also be provided for planned closures, including advance notice of winter avalanche control work.
Travelers who don’t want to turn on push notifications can still find Snoqualmie Pass I-90 alerts in the “mountain pass” section of the WSDOT mobile app, which provides current pass conditions and information about incidents, closures, and other events that may cause delays.
Don’t hit a dead end when it comes to important travel information. Make the switch to Snoqualmie Pass I-90 notifications in the WSDOT mobile app before the text message service ends on Aug. 31, 2026.
*** Update July, 20th, 2026 ***
Sheriff Mike Morrison reports on July 17th, 2026 the body of the man who drowned in Lake Chelan on July 4th was recovered. Chief Deputy Coroner Faye Fetters positively identified the deceased as 43-year-old Dustin Hauanio. Chelan County Coroner Earl Crowe has ruled the death as asphyxiation due to freshwater drowning. The death was accidental.
During the past several days, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office obtained assistance from several outside agencies while attempting to locate Mr. Hauanio. Initially, Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office dive team assisted by sending divers and a tow behind side scan sonar. On July 15th, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office sent their sonar team with an additional tow behind side scan sonar. They were able to locate and mark an object at approximately 250 feet in depth that would need further investigation. As a result, on July 17th, Seattle PD Harbor Patrol responded with their ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle). They were able to examine the object and confirm it was a human body. Using the ORV, they successfully recovered the remains. Once brought to the surface, the individual was positively identified.
The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance provided by these partner agencies. Their specialized equipment and their willingness to go above and beyond was instrumental in in recovering Mr. Hauanio, helping bring closure to his family.
July 18, 2026
Case Number: 26D03277
On July 14, 2026, at approximately 1:47 p.m., Douglas County Deputies were dispatched to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the area of Stinar Road and Rivendell Road in Orondo, WA. The reporting party advised that a vehicle was parked near several rental properties and expressed concern that it may have been stolen.
Deputies located the vehicle and determined it was abandoned. During the investigation deputies learned the vehicle was associated with John Morrison who had been reported missing out of Grant County. Grant County Detectives responded to the scene and, working jointly with Douglas County Deputies, conducted an aerial search of the surrounding terrain using a drone. No sign of Morrison was located. The vehicle was later released to Morrison’s family.
On July 15, 2026, Douglas County Deputies continued searching the area using drones, again with no success. Through coordination with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, an additional search was conducted later that day using their helicopter. During the flight, the crew observed a person lying in steep terrain several hundred feet below the location where Morrison’s vehicle had been found. The individual appeared to be deceased and was situated in an extremely inaccessible area. Due to the time of day, no hoist-capable aircraft from surrounding agencies were able to respond for recovery operations.
On July 16, 2026, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit responded and successfully extracted the remains from the location. The remains, believed to be those of John Morrison, were transferred to the care of the Douglas County Coroner’s Office for autopsy and formal identification.
Douglas County, WA— Residents impacted by the Chelan Hills Fire are invited to attend a Community Town Hall on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lake Chelan Community Center, located at 103 Bighorn Way, Chelan, WA 98816.
This community event will bring together representatives from local agencies, community organizations, and recovery partners to provide information, answer questions, and connect residents with available recovery resources and support services.
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with organizations offering assistance related to disaster recovery, learn about available programs and services, and receive guidance based on their individual needs.
Whether you have immediate questions, are looking for recovery resources, or want to learn what assistance is available, community members are encouraged to attend.
Event Details:
Chelan Hills Fire Community Town Hall
Date: Tuesday, July 21
Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Lake Chelan Community Center
103 Bighorn Way
Chelan, WA 98816
This event is open to the public. A variety of agencies and organizations will be available throughout the evening to assist residents and provide recovery information.
For the most current information, resources, and updates related to the Chelan Hills Fire, please visit the Douglas County website’s Chelan Hills Fire Resource Page, which is being updated as new information becomes available.
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