Washington wildfires and smoke disrupt harvests and threaten livestock, farmers say

Wildfires burning across Washington are affecting more than homes and neighborhoods. Farmers and ranchers say the fires and lingering smoke are disrupting crop growth, threatening livestock and putting agricultural operations at risk.

In Okanogan County, longtime rancher Rod Haeberle has been racing to protect his livestock from the Sinlahekin Fire.

"[We moved] 150 pair out of the fire zone and to a neighbor that’s letting us keep our cattle there until we analyze whether the fire is going to hit us or not," the Haeberle Ranch, Inc. owner explained.

In Skagit County, smoky conditions could delay crop growth and harvest because reduced sunlight slows plant development, according to local farmers.

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Jason Vander Kooy, owner of Harmony Dairy in Mount Vernon, said the smoke could delay harvest when there's less light and more rain, which creates challenges.

"It doesn't really hurt the crops so much, but it's the delay, and sometimes it can be up to 10 days of a delay in harvest," Vander Kooy said.

Harmony Dairy grows about 2,400 acres of cattle feed, including grass, corn, peas and alfalfa, as well as potatoes.

Vander Kooy said his thoughts are with farmers and ranchers closer to the fires in Eastern Washington.

"My heart breaks for those people dealing with it," he said. "I know there's a lot of farmers and other people who have been hit terribly hard over this."

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Haeberle said previous wildfires in 2015 and 2021 destroyed his pasture and nearby U.S. Forest Service land. Now, he said, the current fire has burned to within about a quarter-mile of his property, raising fears of losing everything for a third time.

The agricultural advocacy group Save Family Farming said state and federal land management practices have contributed to wildfire conditions. The group pointed to what it described as mismanagement by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington Department of Natural Resources.

"“These state and federal agencies need to immediately change their land management approach to prioritize responsible grazing and sustainable forest and rangeland management. Too many lives and communities have been put at risk by dangerous management decisions for state leaders to continue on the current path," the organization wrote in a press release.

Vander Kooy said livestock grazing can help reduce wildfire fuels.

"When you have grassland, put a herd of cows on it to keep the vegetation down," he said. "It's not going to stop fires altogether, but it may slow them down."

"We had a slogan years ago that said, ‘Log it, graze it or watch it burn,'" Haeberle added. "If we don’t get back to that, all that natural resource is going to get burned and wasted."

In a statement, the Department of Natural Resources said no land management policy could have prevented the fires seen across the landscape this season.

"Right now, we’re focused on putting these fires out and supporting the communities and families who continue to be impacted by these tragic fires, but Washington’s public lands are some of the best managed lands on the planet," DNR Communications Director Michael Kelly explained. "Unfortunately, four years of climate change fueled drought combined with dangerous weather and extreme wind events across the state created ripe conditions for what is shaping up to be an historic fire year in Washington."

In response to the ranchers' concerns, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reports dozens of grazing leases are currently active on agency-managed lands.

"Beyond grazing, WDFW has actively engaged in forest health work for more than two decades, providing proven results in reducing the potential for wildfires to ignite and spread where these treatments occur, including in the 2015 Okanogan Complex Fires, the 2018 Boyds Fire, and the 2024 Retreat Fire where treatments slowed the spread of wildfire," a spokesperson wrote to KOMO News. "Unfortunately, this work has been profoundly impacted in recent years due to major cuts to forest health and lands maintenance funding. WDFW recently laid off two-thirds of its forest health team and will be forced to scale back further on prescribed burning and forest thinning efforts if this funding is not restored."

The department said it is also working to find emergency pasture for ranchers as the fires keep burning.