Stehekin residents rally after debris flows wash out roads following heavy rain on burn scars

STEHEKIN, Wash. — Seven inches of rain falling on hillsides scarred by last year's Pioneer Fire has triggered multiple debris flows in the remote town Stehekin, which sits on the northern tip of Lake Chelan. The debris flows washed out critical roads and destroyed a wastewater treatment plant attached to the Stehekin Lodge.

While the septic system for the lodge is gone for the foreseeable future, most homes operate on their own septic systems and wells, though residents won't know the status of those systems until power is restored to affected areas.

Remarkably, only a handful of homes suffered water damage inside, and the debris flow largely missed buildings.

Multiple roads had large sections washed out, leaving them impassable and residents who live in the miles around the town unable