Pioneer Fire

Everyone watching fires around Washington this week held their breath as about 600 lightning strikes hit the landscape across the state. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources, who, alongside agency partners, prepared for those conditions this week by pulling in out-of-state resources and pre-positioning crews. The lightning strikes ignited at least two fires in the state, the Easy fire and Swawilla fire. According to a public information officer on the Swawilla fire, a series of fires started from lightning strikes on the Colville Reservation this week.

Dry, hot and windy conditions have communities on alert for wildfire danger across the Pacific Northwest. Those conditions propelled fire growth over the weekend, and more of the same weather is expected this week.