Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Rapid Growth of Evans Canyon Fire Sends Smoke into Yakima and Benton Counties

The Evan's Canyon fire grew to 13,000 acres on Tuesday, sending smoke into Yakima and nearby communities.  The fire continues to actively burn grass and brush along the Kittitas/Yakima county line, with no containment yet.  Full suppression is underway and air resources from around the Pacific Northwest are being used to combat the fire.  Evacuation orders have been extended north to Ellensburg Canyon Road at the Yakima County Line and to the south closer to Selah.

Strong winds today will continue to push the fire upslope and SE.  Expect significant fire growth today.  Communities in Yakima and Benton counties will continue to see Moderate air quality, with some locations seeing intermittent Unhealthy air today. Smoke can also be seen in parts of Klickitat and Walla Walla counties, though mostly aloft.  A warming and drying trend will cause temperatures well above normal for this time of the year and humidity will be low with poor to moderate overnight recovery on mid slopes and ridges.  Winds will slow down on Thursday and Friday, hopefully limiting fire growth later this week, but keeping any new smoke close to Yakima.  

Tips on protecting you and your family from smoke can be found in the Health Info tab on this blog.

                        GOES imagery of smoke from Evans Canyon fire (8 am; Sept 2).

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