WENATCHEE, Wash. — A grass and brush fire that was sparked Tuesday night burned several thousand acres around homes north of Wenatchee and in the Sunnyslope area.

Wind was a major factor.

The fire was still “very active” Wednesday morning apparently heading into the mountains north of town, said Kay McKellar, spokeswoman for Chelan County Fire District 1.

She had no information on the cause but said it was reported at 6:55 p.m. Tuesday in the 3300 block of Red Apple Road between Cashmere and Monitor. Firefighters on the ground and in the air responded quickly and backburned areas north of the Highline Canal. Many homeowners chose to stay despite evacuation orders from the Chelan County sheriff. People watered roofs with garden hoses.

“My husband is a volunteer firefighter and we knew it was coming before it got here. We could smell it before we could see it,” said Kara Velazquez, 2800 Easy St.

Fire burned to within a few feet of their home but their large wooden cross on the hill above the house survived.

“I drove down here (in their field south of their house) with our dog and prayed and was video taping,” Velazquez said.

The fire burned hillsides north of many homes and the Hot Rod Cafe at U.S. Highways 2 and 97 at Monitor.

McKellar said she was not aware of any injuries or structures lost. She said firefighters from Grant, Kittitas and Yakima counties were called in.

It’s the second fire in the Wenatchee area this month. The Batterman Fire started on the Fourth of July and burned 14,100 acres of mostly grass and brush in hills above East Wenatchee and Rock Island before being fully contained July 10. The cause remains under investigation.