The Chelan Hills fire jumped McNeil Canyon on July 4, 2026, after breaking out just after midnight near U.S. 97 and Chelan Hills Acres Road east of Lake Chelan. The blaze was estimated at 5,000 acres and growing, and officials issued Level 3 "Get Out Now" evacuation notices to protect lives.
Residents in McNeil Canyon and along connected roads were told to leave immediately, with evacuees directed to Chelan Elementary School at 324 East Johnson Ave in Chelan. U.S. 97 was closed in Douglas County between Beebe Bridge and mile marker 232, and the closure continued between mile marker 232 and McNeil Canyon Road.
McNeil Canyon and Road 20NW
Level 3 evacuation notices were extended north to Road 20NW and Beebe Ranch as the fire spread north and northeast after jumping the canyon. The fire was burning east of the Columbia River and moving quickly up a hillside in dry conditions.
The rapid spread created immediate travel limits for anyone trying to reach the area from U.S. 97 or SR 97. With the highway closed in both directions of the affected stretch, access for residents, responders, and evacuees shifted to the evacuation route and shelter setup in Chelan.
Boyd Road and Chelan Elementary School
The fire was reported shortly after crews finished extinguishing another fire on Boyd Road. That sequence suggests the area was already under active fire response when the wildfire broke out, leaving little time between one incident and the next.
A Red Cross shelter was available at Chelan Elementary School for people ordered out of McNeil Canyon and the nearby road network. For residents who were told to get out now, the practical next step was to leave the evacuation area and use the shelter rather than wait for conditions to improve on U.S. 97.
Douglas County and U.S. 97
Douglas County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol were among the names tied to the response, alongside The Red Cross and Chelan Elementary School. Officials said the evacuation orders were issued to protect lives, and the road closure kept the affected stretch of U.S. 97/SR 97 clear while the fire continued to grow.
What causes a wildfire to ignite just after midnight near U.S. 97 and Chelan Hills Acres Road is still the open question behind the response. For now, the actionable facts are the evacuation zone, the shelter location, and the highway closure that separated the fire area from the rest of Douglas County.
