WENATCHEE — The Red Apple Fire burning in populated foothills west of Wenatchee reached 9,000 acres and 10 percent containment Wednesday night, with further spread forcing Level 3 evacuation notices for residents of Warner Canyon Road near Cashmere.
The emergency has also led Chelan County sheriff’s deputies and related agencies to begin probing its cause, serving search warrants on a Monitor-area property where the fire was believed to originate.
The fire, first reported at 6:55 p.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of Red Apple Road between Monitor and Cashmere, quickly spread from its starting point, growing to 4,000 acres by that day’s end and 7,000 acres at midday Wednesday. Multiple agencies have responded, with aircraft dipping water for suppression drops from the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers throughout the day Wednesday.
The fire sparked evacuation notices to an estimated 890 homes in the area, including 130 under Level 3 notices, urging residents to flee immediately.
