A round of gusty winds aided in nearly doubling the size of the Labor Mountain Fire near Cle Elum in just a single day over the weekend.

The blaze, which was ignited by a lightning strike 14 miles northwest of Cle Elum on the Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on Sept. 1, had been listed at just over 6,000 acres heading into the weekend but is now estimated at 11,679 acres with 7% containment.

High winds on Sunday pushed the fire dramatically to the east into portions of Chelan County, prompting a 27-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 97 (US-97) over Blewett Pass to close indefinitely, along with the first evacuation notices attached to the blaze since it began. loading...

Among the notices issued is a Level 3 "Leave Now!" alert for all residents on Culver Cre

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