SEATTLE — After a sizzling heat wave hit Washington this week, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and the Department of Natural Resources say much of the state remains in extreme fire danger.
In a Friday update, Franz said Washington is in the thick of wildfire season and recent weather has created hot, dry conditions – making much of the state’s natural lands fuel for wildfires.
“We knew it was going to be a hot, dry season. We knew we were going to have more risks of fires, so we very much set out to ensure we had the air resources we needed and that we had control of those,” she said.
So far, wildland firefighters have responded to approximately 1,200 fires this season, which Franz said is average for this time of the year, adding that most wildfires are started by humans. However, those fires have burned 91,500 acres – a number well below the average, she said.
The low burn acreage is due to resources, staffing and rapid response times, she said. A statewide campfire ban is in place as of Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Two main fires in Washington are the Sourdough Fire in the North Cascades National Park that has reached 4,500 acres and is 11% contained, Franz said. The other fire of concern is the Blue Lake Fire along Highway 20, west of Winthrop, which has burned 265 acres and is not contained.
Wildland firefighters have been stationed across the state in places more prone to wildfires, such as Cle Elum and Goldendale.
“We’re getting fires in every corner of the state,” Franz said.
As of Aug. 17, only four areas in the state are not in extreme fire danger, said Department of Natural Resources Fuels Specialist Vaughn Cork. Western Washington forests, though beautiful and lush, become tinder during times of dry weather and high winds.
The state’s wildfire season is at its high and will begin to decline in the coming weeks, especially as fall rains arrive, Cork said.
In partnership with the Seattle Mariners, $5 from every ticket purchased to the Tuesday, Aug. 29 game against the Oakland Athletics will be donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation to support injured firefighters.