As cooler weather begins to hint at fall in Washington, fire officials warn it is “couldn’t be further from the truth as far as an end in sight for wildfire sea
As cooler weather begins to hint at fall in Washington, fire officials warn it “couldn’t be further from the truth as far as an end in sight for wildfire season.”
Thomas Kyle-Milward, DNR'S Wildfire Communications Manager, said the Hill Loop Fire in Stevens County “popped onto the landscape last night” at 127 acres.
He said the state now has 15 large uncontained fires on the landscape with more than 800,000 acres burned so far this year.
"Washington is comfortably in the third-worst fire season from an acres burned perspective since 2015," said Kyle-Milward. He called this year's wildfire season very challenging, noting that the state has had multiple fires over 100,000 acres.
He also referenced the tragedy in Spokane, the structure loss there, and said Oregon is also going through a really tough fire season, which has led to stretched resources across the region and a very challenging season on the ground for firefighters and those folks behind the scenes who support them.
He stressed Washingtonians should not be fooled by fall-like weather in the forecast.
“Football season is about to start, autumn is in the air, and it couldn't be further from the truth as far as an end in sight for wildfire season,” he said, adding that Washington saw more than 1,000 lightning strikes across the northern and northeastern parts of the state over the weekend.
He said the landscape still lacks the moisture needed to reduce wildfire danger, particularly for “fine flashy fuels and those heavier fuels that take a longer time to get rejuvenated through moisture recovery.”
Kyle-Milward said the forecast calls for hot and dry conditions this week on the west side and a midweek marine trough and increased wind concerns on the east side of the state. "That combination of fuels that have not seen moisture recovery in some time and hot, dry temperatures and wind means more critical fire weather is ahead for Washington state," he explained.
He added human activity remains a major driver of wildfire starts. “Human-caused fires are in 80 to 90 % of ignitions every year in Washington and across the country,” he said.
Kyle-Milward urged people to minimize any activity that is going to potentially put a spark on the landscape, noting it is “not necessarily even something that is fire related, but could include using a hot vehicle on dry grass or even using heavy equipment on your property.
KOMO News asked whether the state has done enough to prevent wildfires this season.
“I think we are sitting in a good place as far as messaging on prevention; we talk about it every year. Unfortunately, life happens; accidents happen,” Kyle-Milward replied, and warned that it is easy to assume "it will be okay; it won't happen to me.” He added it's how accidents happen and urged people to take steps to be extra responsible.
He pointed to ongoing drought conditions, saying it is the 4th year in a row Washington has been in a drought.
“I think we are going to continue to see severe wildfire seasons in Washington, we're going to continue to see hotter and drier weather. I think that is setting the stage for a new normal.” He added, “We need to be more prepared for these kinds of seasons year in and year out."
The typical fire season runs from late June through late August or into early September, but Kyle-Milward emphasized that in a season like the one we are having now, with multiple 100,000-acre fires on the landscape, we will likely see firefighters responding into October.
As for the state's two large fires, the Little Giant and Sinlahekin, he said they will probably be on the landscape "until the snow flies."
