Spread Of Lower Sugarloaf Fire Slows, Still Burning Uncontained

For the first time since being sparked by lighting on Aug. 31, the Lower Sugarloaf Fire in Chelan County grew by less than 1,000 acres over a 24-hour period on Wednesday.

The blaze, which is centered 12 miles east of Leavenworth on the Wenatchee River Ranger District in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, expanded by 509 acres between Tuesday and Wednesday, to an official estimated size of 14,323 acres and remains at 0% containment.

Drier conditions in the forest on Wednesday allowed firefighters the chance to improve both dozer and hand-dug fire lines on the blaze's western and southwestern flanks in the area of Dinkleman Ridge, as well as its eastern edges in the Chumstick Creek vicinity.

To the north, helicopters performed water drops on the fire, while dozers worked to refresh o