wildfire season

On Aug. 1, three wildfires flared up in the Spokane area. For hundreds of people, the Spokane Transit Authority was instrumental in helping them evacuate potentially dangerous areas. By sheer coincidence, the supervisor who coordinated the evacuation effort had been in a similar situation before.

As the Paradise, Hagen and Horse Ridge fires burn in Washington and Oregon counties, Northern Rockies Complex Incident Management Team 6 provided an update on firefighting efforts

In Spokane, around 60,000 people have been evacuated — fleeing several fires. But they're not the only ones. Animals have also had to leave their homes.

For the first time, the United States Forest Service authorized the use of N95 respirators for federal wildland firefighters.

“We’re losing firefighters. The numbers are going down,” said Riston Bullock, a 13-year veteran with the Nez Perce crew. “We need people at the shop ready to go when those fires start.”

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.

Air and ground crews continue to fight the Sourdough fire burning in Whatcom County, which had grown to 1,440 acres as of Monday. The fire is burning in a remote area where the terrain is rugged and steep, which is why crews are attacking the fire from the sky, said Mark Enty, public information officer for Northwest Incident Management Team 10.

Crews made progress over the weekend on the Eagle Bluff fire burning in Okanogan County. The fire was 80 percent contained on Monday and crews said there has not been new growth for 48 hours.

In remote northern Idaho, barely more than 100 people live in the little town of Elk City. The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests span four million…

As the days get hotter and warmer, many Washingtonians are gearing up for the wildfires that will ignite across the region this year, causing smoky skies, evacuations and potentially devastating loss.