Level 3 GO NOW evacuation orders issued for area in the Retreat/Rimrock Fire in Yakima County

YAKIMA CO., Wash. - As of 8:30 p.m. - The American Red Cross has opened a shelter in response to this fire. It is located at Naches Valley High School, 101 W. 5th Street, Naches, Washington

As of 7:15 p.m. Thursday, evacuation orders have been upgraded to Level 3 GO NOW in some areas due to the Retreat/Rimrock Fire in Yakima County.

The following areas are currently under LEVEL 3 GO NOW:

• From Tieton Reservoir Road and US HWY 12 to East end of Windy Point Campground. Five miles north and five miles south on either side of HWY 12, between Tieton Reservoir Road and Windy Point Campground
• From US HWY 12 at Bear Canyon Trailhead, northeast to the "Y"
• From "Y" south along the borders of the Town of Cowiche and the Town of Tieton to Cowiche Mill Road
• NF 641 Forest Service Road North to HWY 12

The following areas are currently under LEVEL 2 GET SET:

• Cowiche Road East to Summitview Road
• Summitview Road North to the 4-way stop at West Tieton Road
• West on West Tieton Road to the end of West Tieton Road
• The west border is the end of West Tieton Road South to the 3600 block of Cowiche Road

Highway 12 is closed from White Pass to Oak Creek.

The Retreat/Rimrock Fire has burned through 13,000 acres about 14 miles southwest of Naches and has caused widespread evacuation notices in the area.

The fire has shut down Highway 12 from the Y all the way up to the Summit of White Pass, which is a big concern for first responders.

According to the Naches Fire Department, the fire is burning down both sides of the highway toward the Y and to the east over the hill towards Tieton in the French Canyon Area. Large rocks, snags and burnt logs have rolled down to block the roadway and firefighters are actively fighting the fire on the highway.

That means Naches Fire, usually the closest agency, won't be able to respond to emergencies up on Rimrock Lake and above.

More than 100 personnel are on the scene and working to fight the fire from the ground and from the air.

"The National Guard has been mobilized and provided us with an additional Blackhawk helicopter for water drops," said Ryan Rodruck, who is with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. He said the winds are driving the spread of the fire and the area is difficult for firefighters on the ground. "Crews are working as hard as they can within that challenging terrain, utilizing heavy equipment and air drops."

Rodruck said at least two structures have been lost. "Crews are actively engaged in structure protection."

According to the Northwest Coordination Center, the Retreat/Rimrock Fire is human-caused. DNR officials will continue to remain on the scene and investigate.

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