Washington has seen fewer wildfires this year than expected, according to officials at the Pullman fire department.
Pullman Fire Chief Mike Heston said this wildfire season in Pullman was predicted to be similar to 2015, with lots of fires and smoke.
This year, the wildfire season is slower because there are better resources like aerial firefighters, and the department has been extinguishing fires more quickly.
The wildfire season usually starts in July and goes into August, he said. This year it started in June and will end sometime this month. He said the wildfire season seems to move up a month every year.
Deputy Fire Marshal Tony Nuttman said the wildfires that happened this year were a lot smaller and easier to control, contributing to the slow season. These smaller fires were most often caused by human error.
Weather can also affect the likelihood of wildfires, Heston said. Excess snowpack from the winter caused vegetation underneath to grow.