As the state enters its historically worst month of the year for wildfires, large fires are still raging in central and eastern Washington and smoke may be visible on the western side of the state.
But government officials are not too concerned yet.
The Washington wildfires have burned more acres than the past two fire seasons, but ignitions remain low, resources are limited and large fires are being contained.
“We got through July, we got through the first week of August. Getting through the rest of the month will determine what kind of season this is going to be,” said Thomas Kyle-Milward, spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources.
More than 265,000 acres have burned so far this year in Washington, on both state and federal lands. That’s compared to last year’s total of 165,000 acres and the 10-year average of about 470,000 acres.
Although more acres have burned compared to last year, the number of total ignitions is still far below previous years, Kyle-Milward said. On Department of Natural Resources lands alone, there were 585 ignitions this year, compared to 806 last year.
The largest fires in the state through Thursday are the Pioneer fire east of Lake Chelan, which is threatening the remote town of Stehekin, the Retreat fire along Highway 12 outside Yakima and the Cougar Creek fire in the southeast corner of the state.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, some of the region’s large fires, particularly those near the Cascades, could continue to burn until significant rain or snow falls this fall. Forests with lots of trees provide fuel to sustain fires for long periods, and remote locations can be difficult for firefighters to access.
With widespread lightning possible this month, fire managers are determining how to handle these long-lasting fires. Strategies will likely include preparing containment lines to prevent fires from reaching buildings, power lines, or water systems.
“Our planners are taking a realistic look at current wildfire conditions, anticipated new fires, and the resources we have to help us protect life and property while increasing our ability to respond to wildfires in high-risk areas,” Jacque Buchanan, regional forester for the Pacific Northwest with the Forest Service, said in a statement.
In the meantime, the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center’s seven-day outlook for wildfires indicates that the potential for large fires is above normal in some regions of the Pacific Northwest.
Kyle-Milward said the state currently has sufficient resources to fight the fires in Washington. Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz asked Gov. Jay Inslee last month to call in the Washington National Guard to help. Since then, two Guard helicopters have helped drop water on fires across Eastern Washington.
Kyle-Milward said the state also has some outside resources available to assist with larger fires, but that as the rest of the West Coast burns, federal and outside crews and equipment could become overloaded.
Oregon is on track to set a new record for the amount of land burned in a fire season. The state has already seen 1.3 million acres burn this year and now has 34 large fires, five of which are more than 100,000 acres each.
Kyle-Milward urged the public to be fire-aware. Lawn equipment, loose chains trailing behind vehicles and cigarettes can all be enough to start a fire in dry summer conditions. And even small fires can strain local and state resources fighting larger fires elsewhere, Kyle-Milward said.
A nationwide ban on burning remains in effect on all state lands.
“We still have a lot of potential on the landscape for fire,” Kyle-Milward said. “We still have a lot of fire activity in the forecast. It’s going to be at least three weeks.”
This story was originally published by the Washington State Standard, a nonprofit news organization and part of the States Newsroom network. Read more at www.washingtonstatestandard.com.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Washington prepares for more fires in August
