July In The Northwest: Warm Summer Nights And Big Fire Potential
LISTEN
From Bend, Oregon, to Ellensburg, Washington, there is a fire weather watch Fridayfor hot temperatures, low humidity and breezy weather.
Already this year, Washington state has seen more than 500 wildfires on state-protected lands. Oregon has seen nearly 400. That’s high for the first half of the year in both states. In fact, so far there have been 104 more fires on Oregon’s state-protected lands than compared to the 10-year average.
That makes it the second-worst year in a decade in terms of wildfire starts. And 2018 is already the third-worst year for acres burned in Oregon to date since 2008.
Washington Department of Natural Resources Fire Operation Chief Aaron Schmidt said three things happen in July that could make more frequent fires start to go big: There’s less humidity at night, not as much rain, and plenty of fuel.
“Our fuels become more cured, and the large fire potential increases,” Schmidt said. “And that does cause me to worry, or at least a heightened state of concern.”
Both Washington and Oregon position resources across the state for quick reactions to hopefully stay ahead of the fires. But Schmidt said sometimes there are just too many different fires burning, and the conditions are too tough to put out all of the fires or keep them small.
Copyright 2018 Northwest News Network
Related Stories:
Study: Climate Change Wildfire Health Impacts Cost Billions For Washingtonians
Climate change is causing people in Washington to spend billions of dollars in healthcare costs. That’s according to a new study that looked at how hospital visits and early deaths during a recent wildfire season. Continue Reading Study: Climate Change Wildfire Health Impacts Cost Billions For Washingtonians
Rethinking Disaster Recovery After 2018 Wildfire Devastated Paradise
The 2018 Camp Fire destroyed 90% of the town of Paradise, Calif., and killed 85 people. Should the federal government jump in to rebuild communities at high risk of future disasters? Continue Reading Rethinking Disaster Recovery After 2018 Wildfire Devastated Paradise
Poll: Northwest Residents Are More Concerned About Wildfires Than 4 Years Ago
More people in the Northwest are worried about wildfires than they were four years ago. A new poll has found people in Washington are now five times more likely to say they’ll feel the effects of wildfires. In Oregon, people are three times more likely to worry about wildfires. Continue Reading Poll: Northwest Residents Are More Concerned About Wildfires Than 4 Years Ago
