Firefighters are worried the hot temperatures this week could spark serious wildfires on both sides of the Cascades.
With temperatures near 90 in the Puget Sound region and as high as 100 in Eastern Washington, the potential for serious wildfires jumps significantly. On top of that, more than 70% of the state is in a drought or experiencing abnormally dry conditions.
“Our firefighters are concerned that we may see more wildfires this week due to rising temperatures and higher wind speeds,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz. “With 71 percent of our state experiencing drought effects, and no rain forecasted, we all need to be extremely cautious when outdoors.”
The snowpack is also well below normal and melting earlier this year. Both are signs of elevated fire risk. Higher winds predicted this week could also wreak havoc on any tiny spark, firefighters said.