Two wildfires burning in Chelan County, Washington on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are writing very different endings to the 2026 fire season. The enormous Little Giant Fire is winding toward full containment after scorching nearly 173,000 acres, while the comparatively modest Sisi Fire continues to resist control efforts and remains the least-contained large fire in the entire country.

Little Giant Fire: Near-Complete Containment After Summer-Long Battle

The Little Giant Fire, which sparked from lightning on July 15, 2026, approximately 30 miles northwest of Leavenworth, has burned 172,906 acres of timber and dormant brush in the rugged terrain of Chelan County. As of October 13, the fire stands at 95% containment — a remarkable achievement given the fire's massive footprint and the challenging landscape it burned through.

Fire behavior is now described as minimal, with smoldering the dominant activity. The Northwest Incident Management Team (CIMT — NW Team 12) continues to manage the incident alongside the Sisi Fire. Area, road, and trail closures remain in effect across impacted portions of the national forest.

At its peak, the Little Giant Fire was the largest active wildfire in Washington State during the 2026 season and required significant national resource deployment to bring under control. Officials are urging hikers and recreationists to check current closure maps before venturing into the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF backcountry.

Sisi Fire: Residences Threatened Near Stehekin

The Sisi Fire, burning about 10 miles northwest of Stehekin in the remote Lake Chelan corridor, has charred 4,439 acres over 59 days and remains at just 34% containment. Burning through timber litter and understory on federal land, the fire is still backing and flanking in active terrain, with residences in the area under continued threat.

The same CIMT (NW Team 12) is managing both Chelan County fires simultaneously. The remote and steep terrain near Stehekin — reachable only by boat or floatplane — has complicated ground-based suppression efforts throughout the fall. Firefighters have been focused on structure protection in the Stehekin Valley while continuing to build and hold containment lines on the fire's perimeter.

A wildfire outlook for October 12–25 from Property Guardian notes that the Sisi Fire is "still backing and flanking with residences threatened," underscoring the continued need for vigilance even as the broader fire season winds down.

What to Watch

  • Sisi Fire containment progress — currently the lowest of any large fire in the U.S.
  • Road and trail closure updates for the Okanogan-Wenatchee NF
  • Prescribed burn smoke near Stehekin and Ross Lake
  • Chelan County Emergency Management alerts for structure threats

Residents near Stehekin and the Lake Chelan area should monitor local emergency alerts and follow guidance from Chelan County Emergency Management and the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. For the latest incident information, visit InciWeb at inciweb.wildfire.gov or call 509-776-6953.