DNR: Wildfire Danger to Elevate Further Over Weekend with Westerly Winds

Red Flag Warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service across already-burning areas of eastern Washington

The return of windy conditions into the weekend spells elevated wildfire risk once again for much of Washington state, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking people to stay safe and limit activities that could result in human-caused ignitions.

"We've seen too much loss and heartbreak already this summer," said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. "Too many of our neighbors are picking up the pieces from last weekend's catastrophic fires in Spokane. Thousands of firefighters are working day and night to control one of the most destructive fire seasons in state history. We owe it to all of them to do everything we can to avoid sparking wildfires this weekend. The best way to do that is to avoid any activity that could throw a spark onto our already tinder-dry landscapes."

Breezy westerly winds are expected to align with the sustained dry conditions and elevated temperatures across the majority of central and eastern Washington, creating two days of critical fire weather and the potential for rapid fire spread on both new and existing wildfires.

The National Weather Service has issued Red Flag Warnings for portions of Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Garfield, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman, Kittitas, Yakima, Skamania, Benton, Klickitat, Walla Walla, Franklin and Grant counties. Those warnings are effective from 11 a.m. today until 11 p.m. on Saturday.

"While fire weather conditions won't be as severe as last week, this is still a situation we're watching closely," said Russ Lane, DNR's Wildland Fire Division Manager. "The combination of extremely dry fuels, windy conditions and the number of incidents on the landscape already could make this a dynamic situation for any new ignitions in the coming days."

There are currently 18 large, uncontained wildfires burning more than 450,000 acres across Washington, with more than 8,000 personnel working to combat them. DNR firefighters are fully engaged and have been joined by local, state and federal suppression and support resources from across the nation.

All outdoor burning is banned on all lands under DNR fire protection jurisdiction. This includes campfires, the use of charcoal briquets, and prescribed burns. The Governor's statewide burn ban is also in effect, which means no yard debris burning, trash disposal, land clearing, weed abatement, bonfires and campfires not contained in structures such as fire rings.

Your local fire districts might have a more restrictive burn ban as well, so please be sure to stay aware of all restrictions in place for your area.

Remember these prevention tips:

• Be sure recreation vehicles have operating spark arrestors.
• Do not park vehicles in dry, grassy areas, as residual heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass.
• Allow power engines to cool before refueling, and be careful not to set a hot tool down on dry grass or leaves.
• It's always illegal to light fireworks or use incendiary ammunition or exploding targets on DNR-protected lands.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Thomas Kyle-Milward

Wildfire Communications Manager

Cell: 360-529-7184

[email protected]