Little Giant Fire Pushes Toward Washington Towns as Smoke Chokes Cascades

The Little Giant Fire near Plain, Washington has grown into the state’s third-largest blaze, threatening about 1,800 buildings as roughly 1,700 firefighters fight extreme-dry conditions and erratic fire behavior. Thick smoke has driven hazardous air quality downwind across communities like Cashmere and Leavenworth. A Lake Chelan crossing intended as a natural firebreak failed when embers jumped to the far shore. Officials warn of dangerous margins and pyrocumulus growth, while scientists point to climate-driven drought and long-term fuel buildup as key contributors. No buildings have been confirmed burned yet, but a family cabin in the Entiat River Valley is among the structures at risk, and costs to fight the fire have already run high.