SEATTLE — Many people reported a wildfire smoke haze across the Puget Sound area on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The smoke is from the Sourdough Fire, according to the NWS, blown into the area due to north winds. While some improvement is expected into the afternoon with increasing winds, the NWS said air quality could be impacted into Monday.
Air quality in Seattle was listed as "good" at around 3:15 p.m., an improvement from earlier in the day when the rate shifted into the "moderate" range between noon and 2 p.m.
The NWS warned that high temperatures over the next few days could cause significant growth of existing or new fires, potentially impacting air quality.
The Sourdough fire is estimated to be at 1,938 acres and is 5% contained, according to Inciweb. The fire is burning near Diablo in the Ross Lake National Recreation area.
State Route 20 North Cascades Highway closed again on Thursday due to fire activity after reopening Wednesday.
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the highway is closed between Newhalem milepost 120 and milepost 146 while crews continue to battle the flames. There is no estimated time for reopening.
The most pronounced heatwave of the season began Sunday and is expected to last through Thursday.
The fire danger will be elevated this week due to the ongoing drought conditions, high temperatures, low relative humidity, and light offshore winds. These environmental and atmospheric conditions will favor the development and spread of wildfires. A Red Flag Warning is in effect late Sunday morning through Tuesday evening for the western slopes of the Cascades above 1,500 feet.
