Residents can safely return to the area after a large brushfire sparked Level 3 evacuation notices just east of Brewster.
The Jack Wells Fire was reported in rural Okanogan County just after 3 p.m. Tuesday, burning near La Grange Road and Gamble Sands Golf Course. Level 3, or get-out-now evacuation notices were issued within an hour, with people urged to leave via Highway 97.
Firefighters worked to encircle the blaze, the growth of which was also limited by green fields and orchards. As of this morning, notifications had been reduced to Level 1, meaning those in the area should be aware of the presence of fire.
No word yet on the cause of that blaze.