Washington Fire 15 percent contained

Keeping flames from reaching Markleeville is the top priority. Photo/Susan Wood

Update 7:35pm:

The Washington Fire, which is three miles from the town of Markleeville, is 15 percent contained.

Markleeville residents are under an evacuation advisory issued by Alpine County Sheriff’s Office. No mandatory evacuations are in effect at this time.

“Significant progress has been made toward containing the western flank of the fire south of Markleeville,” according to officials.

The fire has burned 16,490 acres. The reduction in the reported fire size is due to more accurate mapping.

Smoke was bad in the Incline Village area on Thursday, with minimal impacts on the South Shore.

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The Washington Fire burning near Markleeville remains at 10 percent containment on Thursday.

It has burned 17,205 acres since Friday.

“The primary tactical priority is to prevent the fire from reaching Markleeville. The next priorities are to contain the fire in the Wolf Creek and Monitor Pass area. Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for sunny, hazy, and increasing temperatures with northerly light winds in the afternoon. Forecasted dry thunderstorms with strong outflow winds remain a concern Friday,” officials said.

Highways 4 and 89 in the Monitor and Ebbetts pass areas remain closed. Several campgrounds along Highway 4 south of Markleeville as well as the Turtle Rock and Indian Creek campgrounds north of Markleeville remain closed. The Pacific Crest Trail is open.

Among the 900 people the blaze are 12 helicopters and three air tankers.

The fire was ignited by lightning, that occurred in previous storms in the weeks before, yet remained undetected until June 19.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report