OLYMPIA, Wash. — Despite the cooler weather rolling in, wildfire season is not over and the landscape is still extremely dry.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, is asking Washington residents to help prevent wildfires as we enter the fall season.
“The recent fires on the west side of our state reminds us that fire season is not over yet. As we’ve seen the past couple years with the Bolt Creek and Nakia Creek fires, autumn still holds potential for large wildfires that can impact broad areas of Washington,” said Commissioner Franz. “We’re seeing fires rage through wetter forests, even the Olympic Rainforest. Even though it’s been cooler, we still haven’t seen much rain, and until we do our forests remain vulnerable to wildfires that can threaten homes and fill our skies with smoke. This year has been one of the most destructive ever for the people of Washington. I’m urging everyone to continue their vigilance by not starting fires outdoors to keep our state and our firefighters safe.”
In 2023, Washington has had 1,855 wildfires burn 155,503 acres. This is more than they typical pace for the number of fires but it is below the number of acres burned.
The 10 year average is 1,417 fires and 288,682 acres burned.
Current weather conditions are allowing firefighters to make progress on containing existing active fires.
But, with the increased wind and the already dry conditions any new spark could create a devastating wildfire. Do your part and follow any existing burn bans in your area.
Many of the Fire Danger Rating areas throughout central Washington are high. Most of western Washington is now rated high or very high for fire danger. To see the rating where you live, it can be tracked here.
