Northwest Team 12 reported continued progress on the Little Giant Fire in Chelan County, Washington on October 7, 2026, with the massive blaze now 93% contained at 172,902 acres. Meanwhile, the smaller but more challenging Sisi Fire — burning deep in the Glacier Peak Wilderness — remains at only 29% containment.
Little Giant Fire: Nearing Full Containment
The Little Giant Fire, which ignited July 15, 2026, from a lightning strike on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, has been one of the largest fires in Washington State history. After burning through more than 172,000 acres of forested terrain in Chelan County, firefighters have successfully wrapped containment lines around the vast majority of the fire's perimeter.
As of the October 4 operational update, fire behavior has dropped to minimal levels — primarily smoldering and creeping — as seasonal cooling takes hold across the North Cascades. Fire information officers reported that residences in the fire area continue to face some threat from isolated heat pockets, and area, road, and trail closures remain in place on affected portions of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.
Resources committed to the incident as of the latest update included 8 engines and 2 hand crews, representing a significant drawdown from peak suppression staffing that numbered in the hundreds at the fire's height this summer.
Sisi Fire: Wilderness Location Complicates Suppression
The Sisi Fire, ignited by lightning on August 14, 2026, in the Glacier Peak Wilderness approximately 10 miles northwest of the community of Stehekin, presents a more complicated picture. The fire has burned 4,352 acres and remains 29% contained, with its location in designated wilderness limiting mechanized equipment use and requiring hand crews and aerial resources.
Northwest Team 12 is managing both the Little Giant and Sisi incidents simultaneously, coordinating resources across the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest and adjacent wilderness. Fire officials note that Sisi's wilderness setting means full containment will likely come through natural burnout aided by cooler, wetter fall weather rather than direct suppression.
Looking Ahead
Fire managers anticipate that fall precipitation and reduced fire weather conditions will continue to assist suppression efforts on both incidents. Residents and recreationists are reminded that forest closures remain in effect on portions of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, and should check with the fire information line at (509) 776-6953, available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., for the latest updates before entering affected areas.