Home / Environment / Washington Burns: Critical Fire Threats Loom East of Cascades
Washington Burns: Critical Fire Threats Loom East of Cascades
26 Jul
Summary
- Critical fire threats persist east of Cascades through early next week.
- Lightning sparked numerous new fires, exacerbating existing ones.
- Unhealthy air quality expected for eastern Washington counties.
Critical fire threats are anticipated east of Washington's Cascade Mountains from this weekend into early next week. Numerous fires ignited by lightning earlier this week are expected to burn and spread, compounding the challenges for firefighters dealing with existing large fires.
On Friday, intense heat from the Little Giant Fire in the central Cascades generated a pyrocumulus cloud visible across much of the Puget Sound region. While westerly winds will carry smoke away from Western Washington, air quality in downstream areas east of the Cascades is expected to be unhealthy.
An Air Quality Alert is in effect through Monday for Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, and other eastern Washington counties. Western Washington can expect cooler air and possible rain showers near the coast Saturday and statewide Sunday. However, no rain relief is forecast east of the Cascades.
Gusty winds over 30 mph, combined with low humidity on the dry eastern slopes of the Cascades, have led to a Red Flag Warning. These conditions significantly increase the risk of rapid fire spread for any fires that ignite or escape containment lines. Thousands of lightning strikes were detected across Washington, Idaho, and Oregon from Wednesday through Thursday, raising concerns for further ignitions as warm, dry winds persist.
