Western Washington has a more than normal risk for wildland fires in the next few months according to a recent government report.
The Northwest Interagency Coordination Center released its Climate and Significant Fire Potential Outlook April 1 which showed that through July Clark County was included in an area with “above normal” wildland fire potential.
John Saltenberger, fire weather program manager for the center, explained that the risk wasn’t for “large, costly” fires this month, but could mean a greater chance for “escaped backyard burns” and campfires going out of control.
Saltenberger gave a presentation on the outlook which looked at past weather trends as well as a forecast of what to expect. He said that the Pacific Ocean was “just barely” into an El Niño event as of the update.