CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — Residents in Chelan County have been ordered to evacuate as the state’s largest wildfire, the Lower Sugarloaf Fire, continues to grow.

Chelan County Emergency Management issued a Level 3 “go now” evacuation order over the weekend for areas along Roaring Creek Road and Entiat River Road. The Warehouse Community Church in Entiat has been opened as a Red Cross shelter for displaced residents.

The fire, located about 40 miles northeast of Leavenworth, has burned nearly 29,000 acres and is only 22% contained. Fire officials said the blaze expanded rapidly over the weekend and will likely face more challenges later this week.

“To try and contain a natural event, to try and stop a natural disaster is always a complex endeavor,” said Brian Lawatch, a spokesperson for the

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