WASHINGTON, USA — The intense fires burning in Canada have blanketed the east coast in thick smoke, which is a reminder that fire season in Washington is right around the corner.
There is widespread concern about the severity of the upcoming fire season after this year's dry spring.
University of Washington Professor Daniel Jaffe studies and teaches courses in atmospheric sciences. He says the East Coast smoke is a reminder to be prepared.
“The most important message is to be prepared, expect smoke if we don’t get it that’s great but be prepared with N95s and air purifiers,” Jaffe said.
Jaffe said that smoke doesn’t have to originate in Washington to cause a problem.
“These absolutely will become more common occurrences as we get warmer and we dry out, we dry out the fuels, we increase the likelihood of having large wildfires,” Jaffe said.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources Wildfire Communications Manager Thomas Kyle-Wilward echoed Jaffe's statement.
“We’re seeing a lot of these hotter, drier summers and it’s becoming kind of commonplace for us to see larger fires on the landscape each year,” Kyle-Wilward said.
While it's difficult to predict, Kyle-Wilward said this year's dry spring will have an impact on the fire season.
“This year without that more of a typical spring – with a lack of precipitation and dry areas of the state through May, we’re instead going to be right in the thick of it with another year that we’ll probably have some smoke impacts at some points during the year,” he said.
According to the DNR, the majority of wildfires are human-caused. For practical advice on how to stop this from happening, visit their website.