We’re tracking active wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Washington’s wildfire season typically runs from June to September and particularly affects the region east of the Cascades, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
In May, Puget Sound Energy, Washington’s largest utility, warned customers it could turn off power in some communities to prevent its power lines from sparking wildfires.
Already, the Pioneer fire reported on the north shore of Lake Chelan in early June is estimated to burn till the end of October.
“Due to rugged, inaccessible terrain and the large amount of ground fuels, the fire will likely persist on the landscape for an extended duration,” the state Department of Natural Resources has said in news releases.
This year, Western Washington is entering this fire season dry, with chances of wildfire expected to build heading into the hottest months of the year, according to the most recent predictions.
Wildfire risk was normal through June for the state as a whole, but most of Western Washington in July and August will see an above-normal fire risk, according to the National Interagency Fire Center’s May wildfire outlook.
The rest of the state is predicted to face normal conditions.
Air quality
We’re also tracking wildfires’ effect on air quality throughout the region.
Last August, Seattle reached hazardous levels when wildfire smoke from British Columbia, Eastern Washington and the Cascade Mountains coated the region.
Larger and more intense wildfires are creating the potential for smoke production and chronic exposures in the U.S., particularly in the West.
Check the air quality level and fine particulate matter concentration in your area here:
Fine particulate matter, the main pollutant in wildfire smoke, is made up of tiny, unburned particles from incinerated materials suspended in the air. They may include particles of acids, inorganic compounds, organic chemicals, soot, metals or soil. They are several times finer than human hair and are easily inhaled deep into the lungs and bloodstream, which can impair vital organs.
Exposure to wildfire smoke has been associated with a range of health concerns from eye and respiratory tract irritation to more serious conditions such as bronchitis, heart failure and even premature death, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Children, pregnant people and older adults are especially vulnerable.
While people’s airways — through hairs and mucus — are designed to remove bigger particles, smaller particles like smoke can more easily get into breathing spaces. Staying inside and using high-quality face masks, like N95s or KN95s, when outside can help limit smoke inhalation, said Dr. Bonnie Ronish, a pulmonologist at UW Medicine.
Most people will likely smell the smoke and feel it in their eyes and nose first, but an increase in coughing, phlegm production or shortness of breath — to the point where it’s impacting daily activities, like getting dressed — could signal the need for a clinic visit, Ronish said. She compared the impacts of wildfire smoke exposure to a giant cigarette. “It is full of particulate matter, it is full of organic matter and it is filled with burned matter,” Ronish said in a video statement. “Anytime you have anything burned, get into your lungs, that’s bad for you.”