Washington prepares for more fires as dry season peaks

The Retreat fire, seen here, is burning about 14 miles southwest of Naches, Wash. As of Aug. 8 it was around 44,588 acres and 64% contained. (Courtesy InciWeb)

As the state enters what is historically its toughest month of the year for wildfires, large blazes continue to burn in central and eastern Washington and smoke could be on the horizon on the west side of the state.

But state officials aren’t too worried – yet.

Washington’s wildfires have burned more acres than the last two fire seasons, but the number of overall ignitions remains low, resources aren’t severely stretched, and large fires are being contained.

“We’ve made it through July, we’ve made it through the first week of August. Getting through the rest of the month will determine what sort of season this ends up being,” said Thomas Kyle-Milward, a Department of Natural Resources spokesperson.

More than 265,000 acres have burned so far this year in Washington on both state and federal lands. That’s compared to last year’s total of 165,000 acres and the 10-year average of roughly 470,000 acres.

Although more acres have burned compared to last year, the number of overall ignitions remains well below previous years, Kyle-Milward said. On Department of Natural Resources lands alone, there were 585 ignitions so far this year. Last year, there were 806.

As of Thursday, the state’s biggest fires include the Pioneer fire east of Lake Chelan, threatening the remote town of Stehekin, the Retreat fire along Highway 12 outside of Yakima, and the Cougar Creek fire in the southeast corner of the state.

Some of the region’s big fires, especially those near the Cascades, could burn until significant rain or snow hits the region this fall, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Heavily-treed forests provide fuel to sustain fires for extended periods, and remote locations can be difficult for fire crews to access.

As widespread lightning could strike this month, fire managers are determining how to handle these long-duration fires. Strategies will likely include preparing containment lines to stop fires from reaching structures, power lines or water systems.

“Our planners are taking a realistic look at current wildfires, expected new fires, and the resources we have to help us safeguard human lives and property while enhancing our ability to respond to wildfires in high-risk areas,” Jacque Buchanan, Pacific Northwest regional forester at the Forest Service, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center’s seven-day outlook for wildfire shows the potential for large fires in some regions of the Pacific Northwest is above normal.

Currently, Kyle-Milward said the state has adequate resources to deal with the fires on Washington’s lands. Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz asked Gov. Jay Inslee to call in the Washington National Guard last month to help. Since then, two Guard helicopters have helped drop water on fires throughout eastern Washington.

Kyle-Milward said the state also has some out-of-state resources assisting with larger fires, but as the rest of the West Coast burns, federal and out-of-state crews and equipment could become stretched.

Oregon is on track to set a new record for the amount of land burned in a wildfire season. The state has already seen 1.3 million acres burn this year and now has 34 large fires, with five over 100,000 acres each.

Kyle-Milward urged the public to be fire-conscious. Yard equipment, loose chains dragging behind vehicles and cigarettes can all be enough to spark a fire in dry summer conditions. And even small fires can strain local and state resources to fight larger fires elsewhere, Kyle-Milward said.

A statewide burn ban remains in effect on all state lands.

“We’ve still got a lot of potential on the landscape for fire,” Kyle-Milward said. “We’ve still got a lot of fire weather in the forecast. It’s going to continue for at least another three weeks.”

Smoke incoming

Meanwhile, hazy skies and poor air quality could be on the way for western Washington residents as smoke from eastern Washington and Canadian fires move in.

Bellingham, Mount Vernon, and other interior parts of the state could start to see moderate air quality starting Thursday, according to the Northwest Clean Air Agency . “Moderate” means air quality is good, but there could be some risk for people who are sensitive to air pollution.

In coastal areas of western Washington, air quality is likely to remain somewhere between good and moderate, according to the agency. Smoke that stays at a high altitude could make skies look hazy, but air quality on the ground could still be good.

Much of central and parts of eastern Washington had moderate air quality, as of Thursday, and it was likely to remain that way into Friday.

Southwest Washington, including Vancouver and the Columbia Gorge could see air quality at moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups as smoke moves south from the Williams Mine fire, burning southwest of Mount Adams in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Big fires

The most-watched fire in the state right now is the Pioneer fire , which started in June northwest of Chelan.

As of Thursday, nearly 37,000 acres had burned and it was still only 13% contained. The fire was burning within 100 feet of structures in Stehekin , a remote town only accessible by boat and trail that had been under an evacuation order since July 27. There were about 653 personnel fighting the fire, as of Wednesday.

The Easy fire along the Highway 20 corridor in the North Cascades had burned more than 1,700 acres, as of Thursday. The fire closed the highway between mileposts 148 and 157 starting on Sunday.

The Retreat fire outside Yakima had burned more than 44,500 acres. It was 64% contained, as of Thursday. The fire has closed U.S. Highway 12 near White Pass between mileposts 151 and 173.

The Cougar Creek fire in southeast Washington near the Oregon state line had burned nearly 21,000 acres and was 35% contained on Thursday. There were 483 personnel assigned to fight the fire, including 10 crews, three helicopters and 33 engines.

The fast-growing Williams Mine Fire in southeast Washington is now at 4,500 acres after winds pushed it south. Evacuation notices are now in effect for Trout Lake. The Mt. Adams Wilderness area and other recreation areas outside the fire are closed.

For more information on wildfire incidents in Washington, visit InciWeb .

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