Fire and Smoke Roundup, Rain on the Way!

 

Visible satellite image from Friday morning, courtesy of College of DuPage.

Fire and Smoke Situation Snapshot

Hot, dry, windy conditions on Thursday fueled extreme fire behavior and extensive smoke production on the Labor Mountain Fire near Blewett Pass. With growth of 2,456 acres, the fire now sits at 17,181 acres and 7% containment. 

Also contributing to the smoke east of the Cascades are the Wildcat Fire and Lower Sugarloaf Fire, which have burned 10,058 acres and 31,049 acres, respectively, as of Friday afternoon. 

The Labor Mountain Fire on September 25, 2025. Courtesy: Jonathan Pulley (X/@WhidbeyWXGuy)

Dense smoke was observed near the fires Friday morning with the Air Quality Index reaching Hazardous levels near Entiat and Orondo and Unhealthy conditions have been widespread across Wenatchee.

Further east, Unhealthy conditions were observed in Moses Lake and Spokane. Air quality in Spokane has improved to Moderate. The AQI had been improving in Moses Lake as well but has since risen back to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

Smoke from the Wildcat Fire has also filtered down the Naches Valley and into the Yakima Valley with AQI ranging from Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

In Western Washington, air quality has improved considerably, ranging mostly from Good to Moderate at this point. The only exception remains near Lake Cushman as the Bear Gulch Fire has reached the 20,000-acre mark. 

Smoke and Weather Forecast

As we head into the weekend, winds will continue to relax, making it difficult to clear out any residual smoke. Despite the lack of strong winds, the Cascade fires are expected to continue to burn actively due to the continued warmth and poor relative humidity recovery overnight.

Overnight, smoke will drain from the fires down valley, resulting in continued poor air quality in areas like Entiat, Cashmere, Wenatchee, and Naches in the morning hours. A ridge of high pressure will build into the region, further stifling any smoke movement. Air quality should improve each afternoon, especially for areas like Moses Lake that are further away from the fires, but it will be a slow process, and haze will linger over much of eastern Washington.

Expect similar conditions Saturday night with little improvement in air quality, but by the end of the day Sunday, a slow clearing process should begin as southerly winds increase aloft and eventually at the surface.

By late Sunday or early Monday, light showers will begin to move into western Washington as a deepening upper-level low sets up offshore. While little precipitation is expected to cross the Cascades initially, improved relative humidity recovery and a push of southwest winds will help clear out some smoke and reduce fire behavior.

3-day rainfall forecast ending 5:00 a.m. Thursday

Finally, we're keeping an eye on a stronger system sometime Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Confidence is medium-high for a widespread wetting rain event in western Washington. Lower confidence exists east of the Cascades regarding rain totals, but cooler conditions combined with onshore flow will be good news for air quality across the state.