A wet spring followed by an unusually hot and dry summer brought an early fire season to the Pacific Northwest.
Officials with the Department of Natural Resources say Washington’s fire season is just starting, but what that means for Western Washington is different from what it means for the east side.
“Our fire season is probably just now beginning to heat up,” said Janet Pearce, spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources.
“The fuels on the landscape are extremely dry because we haven’t had any rain forever,” she said. “That’s causing any little spark to create a wildfire.”
There are more than 20 fires burning in Oregon and a handful around Washington, and they’re taking a toll on Washington’s wildland firefighters.