Wildland firefighters expect the Pacific Northwest to see another busy fire season this year with land around Yakima especially vulnerable.
“If I were to pick one place that might experience above-average fire danger, it’s the Yakima Valley and the eastern slopes” of the Cascade Mountains, said Josh Clark, a meteorologist with the state Department of Natural Resources.
Less rain in the winter, above-average temperatures and less mountain snow mean fires could start earlier and burn longer than a typical season, Clark said.
Clark spoke at a conference of wildland firefighters from Alaska, Washington and Oregon held at the Yakima Convention Center.
Washington has seen a dramatic increase in wildfires over the past 10 years because of climate change, said Chuck Turley, a wildfire division manager for the state Department of Natural Resources.