Wildfire smoke hits Central Washington

We’re seeing significant air quality impacts from wildfires in Central Washington on Friday.

There are two new wildfires burning in the region - Balsam Root in North Wenatchee and Thorp Road near Moxee, both of which have prompted evacuations.

Meanwhile, high pressure and calm winds near Lake Chelan have meant that smoke from the Pioneer Fire is accumulating near the surface and sending air quality readings into the unhealthy zone.

With a long stretch of near-record temperatures on tap for this weekend and next week, fire danger is expected to continue to be high. The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for Friday afternoon and evening for central Washington. A Fire Weather Watch is also in place for the west slope of the Cascades through the weekend.

Meanwhile, on the west side of the state, particulate pollution from fireworks started off much of the Puget Sound region with a lingering haze. That’s beginning to dissipate at midday Friday. 

On Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning for the Cascades (above 1500 feet) from Saturday through Tuesday. Conditions are hot, dry, and unstable, meaning new fires could easily start and spread. If you are in this area, please take extra care to avoid any activities that might spark a wildfire.

Follow local emergency management agencies for evacuation information, and be prepared if you're traveling in these regions in the coming days:

• Bring an N95 or KN95 mask
• Know where to access up-to-date wildfire, smoke, and air quality information
  • Ecology’s AirQualityWA map
  • EPA’s Fire and Smoke map
  • Watch Duty