Overview
- Lightning from a weekend storm sparked the new Goat Fire and helped fuel the King and Three Queens fires, creating multiple active ignition points across Kittitas County.
- The Three Queens Fire has grown to about 6,700 acres, the King Fire exceeds roughly 580 acres, and the Goat Fire is burning in steep, rugged timber that limits ground access.
- Incident teams are deploying hotshot crews, heavy and light helicopters, aircraft for water drops, containment-line construction, and sprinkler-based structure protection to hold key roads and communities.
- Level 1–3 evacuation orders and a forest closure that includes sections of the Pacific Crest Trail are in effect while smoke is degrading visibility and air quality along the I-90 corridor.
- Local businesses and residents face lost tourism revenue and safety risks, and crews warn that the forecast of hotter, drier, unstable conditions could drive more active fire behavior and complicate suppression over the next days.