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- NKC Tribune – weekly newspaper
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Northern Kittitas County TribuneWe are the community newspaper serving Cle Elum, Roslyn, Ronald, South Cle Elum, Easton, Thorp, Lake Cle Elum, Liberty, Mineral Springs, Hyak, Snoqualmie, Snoqualmie Pass, and all of the surrounding “upper” Kittitas County areas.Frequency: The Tribune is published every Thursday. Home delivery is available by mail, and single copies are available for purchase on our website, or on newsstands throughout the county.
Deadlines: The weekly general deadline for advertising copy and news is Tuesdays by noon. Letters to the editor are due by Mondays at 5:00 p.m., and letters sent by the previous Friday, to give adequate time for any needed contact, are appreciated.
Letters to the Editor: Have an opinion you would like to share with our readers? The NKC Tribune welcomes points of view that are well-reasoned, even if they are controversial. We do not publish views that are hateful or preposterous. We will consider letters to the editor or guest editorials for publication if they have a name (for print, no anonymous letters or those on behalf of others printed), address (city and state printed, rest for our contact purposes only) and phone number (for contact only, not printed unless included as an integral part of the letter). Letters under 300 words more likely to be published. We reserve the right to condense and edit letters and guest opinion/editorial pieces. Electronic submission is preferred, or typewritten letters are appreciated. Deadline for submitting letters is Monday, 5:00 p.m., but we prefer submission by the previous Friday to allow us to contact the author, if necessary, prior to publication date, which increases the letter’s chance of being published.
To submit a letter, email us via our feedback page, mail, fax or bring it in to our office. Be sure to include the author’s name, (for guest editorials, profession and title or group affiliation if representing an organization) daytime and evening phone contact information whichever method of submission is used. Return to top of page
)Oahe Specialty PublicationsProduces annual guides and niche publications for the Kittitas County area, which include the annual EXPLORE! Central Cascades Recreation & Entertainment Guide and the Upper Kittitas County Builders’ Guide along with pull-out sections inserted in the NKC Tribune, and other projects.Tribune Office Supply & Printing Your one-stop source for Office Supplies and quality custom printing in Cle Elum. Conveniently located inside the NKC Tribune news office by Safeway Cle Elum. To learn more, please visit the Tribune Office Supply & Printing website.Tribune Web Services Local provider of web hosting, website design, domain name registration, and more. To learn more, please visit the Tribune Web Services website.Oahe Publishing Corp.Parent company to Northern Kittitas County Tribune, Tribune Office Supply & Printing, Tribune Web Services, and Oahe Specialty Publications, which include the annual EXPLORE! Central Cascades Recreation & Entertainment Guide Website: www.oahe.com Principle owners: Jerri Stoner, Jana Stoner and Terry Hamberg.
Corporate Address:
Oahe Publishing Corp.
P.O. Box 308
Cle Elum, WA 98922
For other contact options, please visit our contact page
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CREATES HIGH FIRE DANGER
Fire Officials Seek Public Cooperation
Critical fire weather conditions, including Red Flag Watches and Warnings, are underway across the Geographic Area, creating an increased risk for rapid wildfire growth. Fire officials urge residents and visitors to help prevent wildfires by avoiding activities that could spark a fire, following local fire restrictions, and staying informed about changing conditions. The public should also monitor evacuation information and be prepared to act quickly if conditions change.
“Right now, everyone needs to be extremely careful,” said Jeff Fedrizzi, Chair of the Pacific Northwest Wildfire Coordinating Group. “Current fire conditions mean that just one spark, a discarded cigarette, or an unattended open flame can ignite the next wildfire. After the lightning we've received over the past 10 days and the number of new fires already burning across the landscape, we need the public's help to prevent additional fires and protect our firefighters, our communities, and our natural resources.”
Fire officials across Washington and Oregon remind residents and visitors that fire restrictions and area closures are in place to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during this period of extreme fire danger. Know before you go by checking local fire restrictions and area closures before recreating outdoors. Common activities that can ignite dry vegetation include mowing dry grass, driving off designated roads, operating equipment that creates sparks, and building campfires. Many of these activities are currently prohibited or restricted because of extreme fire conditions. Stay clear of active wildfire areas and firefighting operations. Do not drive to view wildfires, as traffic can delay emergency responders, hinder firefighting efforts, and create additional safety hazards. If you encounter smoke while driving, slow down and use extra caution.
Before traveling or recreating outdoors, check the latest road closures, fire restrictions, fire activity, and evacuation information:
Washington Road Conditions: WSDOT Real-Time Travel – https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/
Washington Evacuations & Emergency Alerts: https://mil.wa.gov/alerts
Current Fire Information
• InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/
• Northwest Interagency Coordination Center: https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/
• Air Quality: https://fire.airnow.gov/
Your decisions matter. Stay informed, follow local restrictions and evacuation orders, and help keep yourself, your community, and our firefighters safe.
These settings help turn power off faster when a potential hazard is detected, such as a tree branch falling on a power line. This helps prevent sparks, but you may experience unplanned power outages when these settings are in place. These settings will remain in place as long as elevated fire risk persists. Based on current forecasts, those conditions may continue through Saturday in Kittitas County.
For more information or to report a power outage, visit PSE’s Outage map: https://www.pse.com/en/outage/outage-map?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=safety-wf&utm_content=20260722_epssettings_kittitas_outagemap
This is not a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) where we proactively turn off power in advance of severe fire weather. PSE has not used a PSPS yet, and if this measure is needed, our goal is to give impacted customers notice 2 days in advance of the shutoff.
Learn more about Enhanced Powerline Settings (EPS): https://www.pse.com/en/safety/wildfire-prevention/enhanced-power-line-settings?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=safety-wf&utm_content=20260722_epssettings_kittitas_eps
Smoke levels can change quickly because of wind and nearby wildfires. Before you spend time outside, check the current air quality and forecast for your area.
Check current conditions on the Washington Air Quality Map:
https://airqualitymap.ecology.wa.gov/
Air quality is reported using the Air Quality Index (AQI). Do you know what these numbers and their corresponding levels mean? View the chart below to find out.
When the air quality gets worse:
-Spend less time outside, especially if you're exercising or doing hard work.
-Keep windows and doors closed when you can.
-Set your heating or air conditioning system to recirculate if it has that setting.
-Use a HEPA air cleaner or make a clean air room in your home.
-Children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with asthma or heart or lung disease should take extra care.
Simple steps can help lower your exposure to wildfire smoke. Check air quality often and take action to protect yourself and your family.
Need this information in another language? For more information or to request translated materials, please call our front desk at (509) 962-7515.
🔥Cle Elum Ranger District
• The Three Queens Fire, located 1.5 miles northwest of Little Lake Kachess, had limited growth overnight and is estimated at 25 acres. Crews continue to work on establishing an anchor and securing the perimeter, with aviation support.
Recreationists and boaters are advised that aviation resources may be dipping in Lake Cle Elum or Lake Kachess as a water source to support fire suppression efforts. Be alert and move to the lakeside if aircraft is in the area.
Recreationists are also encouraged to avoid the following USFS system roads and trails due to fire suppression activity in the area. Trails 1312 Little Kachess, 1313 Rachel Lake, 1313.1 Rampart and Lila Lake, 1331 Mineral Creek trails, and non-system route to lake Lillian. Please avoid roads in the Box Canyon area, Cooper Pass (4617) and Mineral Creek Trailhead.
🔥Wenatchee River Ranger District
• The Little Giant Fire is located ¾ of a mile west of 19-Mile Campground in the Chiwawa River drainage and is estimated at 10-acres. Rappelers are on site and a fire crew is on order.
• The Nason Ridge Fire- Crews continue to monitor the fire, which is estimated at 1/10-acre and is located about 1 mile northeast of the Stevens Pass Nordic Center.
🔥Methow Valley Ranger District
This morning, the district picked up four holdover lighting fires.
• Two of the fires are contained, Hornet Draw and North Fork fires are both located south and west of Carlton, WA.
• Two of the new starts are in the Pasayten Wilderness. The Ptarmigan fire is located 4 miles from the Canadian border, and the Crater Fire is located 3 miles east of Ross Lake (North Cascades National Park). These will continue to be monitored by aerial resources.
• The Beaver Fire is 2-acres and located 4 miles NE of Winthrop, WA. Two smokejumpers are assigned.
With the hot and dry conditions holdover fires or new smoke reports are anticipated in the coming days. An aerial observation flight has been requested, and Forest Service crews continue to look for fires with boots on the ground and aerial detection.
Please be aware of increased fire traffic on Forest roads and report any new fire starts to 911.
Know before you go! If you’re planning to head to the National Forest, please be aware that Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in place. And with recent lightning and fire activity, check ahead to make sure the location you want to go to is not impacted by a fire closure.
Photo: Three Queens Fire on July 17 at 10 am, located on the Cle Elum Ranger District, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. USDA Forest Service.
