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Horselake Road closed because of fire danger

Horse Lake Road in Wenatchee, which leads to the popular Horse Lake Reserve trails, has been closed because of the area’s extreme hot and dry conditions that are conducive to wildfires.

Chelan County commissioners on Tuesday closed the road by resolution, and county road crews then closed the gate at the lower portion of Horse Lake Road.

Chelan County Code 8.32 affords the Board of County Commissioners the power to determine that such “extreme hazardous conditions exist or that other public safety concerns exist that demand closure of any county roads or portions thereof to travel by the general public.”

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust earlier this week requested the county consider closing Horse Lake Road. Recreationists will be able to access the Horse Lake Reserve via the Sage Hills trailhead on Sage Hills Drive. The road will be re-opened when commissioners and the county fire marshal determine the hazardous conditions have subsided.

Fire Marshal Bob Plumb reminds the public that the fire hazard level in Chelan County remains at “extreme” in both the Valley and Chelan Mountain zones.

“Closing Horse Lake Road is a proactive measure,” Plumb said. “The overwhelming majority of wildfires are human caused, and the Horse Lake Reserve is a popular local recreation area. We don’t want a wildfire in one of our community’s most treasured natural areas.”

Last Updated: 09/21/2021 02:01 PM

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