THREE QUEENS FIRE (FIRE ORIGIN: ABOUT 1 MILE NW OF KACHESS LAKE, KITTITAS COUNTY, WA)
Acreage – 3,848
Containment – 2%
LEVEL 3 (GO NOW!) EVACUATION – Kachess Campground, Forest Service Road 4818 along the east shore of Kachess Lake, FS 4930, FS 4824.
LEVEL 2 (GET SET) EVACUATION – Cabins off Baker Lane immediately south of Kachess Campground
LEVEL 1 (BE READY) EVACUATION – Homes on Via Kachess Road south of the end of Kachess Lake Road and the start of Forest Service Road 4900. Big Boulder Creek south to residential roads north of Driftwood Acres off Salmon La Sac.
Public Land Closures – Public lands surrounding all of Lake Kachess, the western and southern sides of Lake Cle Elum, and the wilderness north from the lakes to the Pacific Crest Trail.A map of evacuation zones is available online.Other land, road, and trail closures can be found at this link
Update (8/20/26 @ 2:00 p.m.)
Level 1 evacuations have been expanded to include areas further east of the fire. Areas around Big Boulder Creek, south to residential roads north of Driftwood Acres off Salmon La Sac are now under a Level 1 (Get Ready) evacuation notice. The area includes Newport Creek Drive, hex Mountain Drive, Anna Bell Drive, Bell View Drive, Carillon Cove Drive, Morgan Creek Road, Grandview Road, Beargrass Road, Lakeside Court, Night Sky Drive, and Forest Service Roads 4300-212 and 4300-118.
Update (8/20/26 @ 3:30 a.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 3,848 acres and 2% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center
Update (8/19/26 @ 3:30 a.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 3,793 acres and 2% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center
Update (8/17/26 @ 11:30 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 3,726 acres and 2% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center
Update (8/17/26 @ 9:45 a.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 3,636 acres and 2% contained, per the official Three Queens Fire Facebook.
Update (8/14/26 @ 8:15 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 3,600 acres and 2% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/14/26 @ 5:00 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is burning an area of about 3,600 acres and is 0% contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Firefighting officials said direct fire line construction is ongoing and the north side of the fire, and the southeast side is seeing operations to strengthen firelines and improve access.
Update (8/12/26 @ 5:15 p.m.)
The U.S. Forest Service has closed a large area around the fire to ensure the safety of the public and protect firefighting operations. The closure includes public lands surrounding all of Lake Kachess, the western and southern sides of Lake Cle Elum, and the wilderness north from the lakes to the Pacific Crest Trail. A more detailed list of trails, roads and recreation facilities that have been closed can be found on the USFS website.
Update (8/12/26 @ 12:30 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is 3,503 acres and 0% contained, per the National interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/11/26 @ 10:30 a.m.)
A community meeting about the Three Queens Fire is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Cle Elum High School. The meeting will also be recorded and posted to the Three Queens Fire Information Facebook page.
Update (8/10/26 @ 5:45 p.m.)
Evacuation levels have been expanded to include a larger area from Kachess Campground to Baker Lane. Officials said evacuation orders are being expanded due to an abundance of caution. A map of evacuation zones is available online.
Update (8/9/26 @ 11:30 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 2,478 acres and 0% contained, per the National interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/9/26 @ 10:45 a.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 1,908 acres and 0% contained, per the National interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/8/26 @ 11:45 a.m.)
Additional Level 3 (GO NOW!) evacuations have been issued for Cooper Lake Rd and French Cabin Creek Rd. LEAVE NOW! Life and property are in danger!
Additional Level 2 (BE SET) evacuations have been issued for Upper Kachess Dam Rd. Be packed and ready to leave ASAP!
Evacuation zones are visible on Kittitas County’s online map.
The Three Queens Fire is now 1,074 acres and 0% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/7/26 @ 5:45 p.m.)
Level 3 (GO NOW), Level 2 (Get Set) and Level 1 (Get Ready) evacuation orders have been put in place for areas between Kachess Lake and Cle Elum Lake. Areas near Cooper Lake are under a Level 3 evacuation order, and people in the area should leave immediately.
Evacuation zones are visible on Kittitas County’s online map.
The fire is now burning about 881 acres, according to firefighting officials.
Update (8/7/26 @ 11:30 a.m.)
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office deputies clarified that Kachess Campground is not under a Level 3 (GO NOW) evacuation order, and that the only evacuation orders currently in place are Level 1 (Be Ready) notices for cabins along Baker Lane north of Kachess Lake Road. Deputies said Kachess Campground has been closed by the US Forest Service.
Update (8/7/26 @ 8:35 a.m.)
There are multiple closures being prompted by the Three Queens Fire. These are all per the Official Three Queens Fire Information Facebook Page.
Recreational Closures –
-The US Forest Service is preparing an emergency closure of forest lands to protect the public and the safe conduct of operations to contain the Three Queens Fire.
-The Kachess Campground on Lake Kachess is closed along with the boat launch providing access to the lake.
Road Closures –
-Cooper Pass Road, FSR 4600, is closed from its junction with Cooper River Road, FSR 4616 to Mineral Creek Trailhead.
-Box Canyon Road, FSR 4930, is closed from the junction with Gale Creek Road, FSR 4948 to the Rachel Lake Trailhead.
Trail Closures –
-Rachel Lake Trail 1313, is closed from the Trailhead to Rampart and Lila Lakes.
-Little Kachess Trail, FST 1312, is closed from the Kachess Campground to the junction with Mineral Creek Trail.
-Mineral Creek Trail, FST 1331, is closed from the Trailhead to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail, FST 2000.
Update (8/6/26 @ 11:00 p.m.)
The Three Queens Fire is now 502 acres and 0% contained, per the National Interagency Fire Center.
Update (8/6/26 @ 7:30 p.m.)
Due to increased fire activity on the Three Queens Fire, Level 3 (GO NOW!) evacuations have been issued for Kachess Campground. Level 1 (GET READY) evacuations have been issued for cabins along Baker Ln north of the end of Kachess Lake Rd, per the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office. Read more about the firefighting effort, and emergency closures of forest lands, by going to the Official Three Queens Fire Information Facebook Page.
Original Story (8/6/26 @ 3:00 p.m.)
KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. – Residents of some rural communities in northwest Kittitas County may be seeing a large column of smoke, but fire officials say there is currently no known threat to any nearby town.
According to Kittitas County Fire Protection District 6, in the afternoon of August 6 firefighters heard several calls about a large column of smoke northwest of the communities of Ronald and Roslyn. Firefighters investigated and found the smoke was coming from the Three Queens Fire, a wildfire burning on the northwest corner of Kachess Lake. Firefighters said the fire flared up earlier on August 6, but there is no known threat to nearby communities.
The Three Queens Fire started on July 15 and grew to burn about 88 acres as of July 31. No evacuation orders were issued, but several forest roads and trails in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area including Cooper Pass Road, Box Canyon Road, and Little Kachess Trail were closed due to the fire.
Although firefighters have not given a number for the fire’s percentage containment, firefighting officials are maintaining several containment lines. Daily updates about containment efforts ceased on July 31. It is not yet clear what the flare-up on August 6 means for containment efforts.
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