SEATTLE — Parts of western Washington are under a Red Flag Warning through July 5, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
The NWS first issued a Fire Weather Watch for the western slopes of the central Cascades, along with the Black Hills and Southwest Interior Lowlands. That was upgraded to the Red Flag Warning due to the expected conditions.
A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire conditions are either imminent or occurring. Any fires that develop will "likely spread quickly," according to the NWS.
See the map below from NWS for where the Warning has been issued.
The Red Flag Warning is in effect until Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Hot and dry conditions around western Washington are expected through Wednesday evening.
Fine fuels, such as roadside grass, may be particularly susceptible to catching fire, according to the NWS.
Reid Wolcott, the warning coordination meteorologist with the NWS, warned of the wildfire dangers these next few days pose.
“Very often we're cool and moist around the Fourth of July," Wolcott said. "Sometimes we have extreme heat - we all remember what happened in 2021 - we're at neither end of that spectrum so people have to make intelligent decisions on their own."
'Don't be the spark'
“We're seeing the sorts of conditions we normally see in August," said Jessa Lewis, the communications manager of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "So this is going to be a long, hot, dry and windy summer."
That’s why the DNR is going into preparedness level three, meaning a bulk of its crews are ready to respond. The agency urged people to use alternatives to private fireworks.
“Please don’t be the spark this holiday weekend,” Lewis said.
Fire crews are asking the public to leave fireworks to the professionals this week.
“There are so many wonderful public displays to go out and enjoy,” Battalion Chief Kinnee said.
The DNR said it’s not just fireworks to worry about to help prevent fires, but making sure chains are not dragging on vehicles, safety during barbecues, or anything that can create a spark.
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