Numerous new wildfires across the region; Lyons Ferry fire pouring smoke into Spokane

Lightning and New Wildfires

Numerous new wildfires have been ignited by lightning in the last few days, particularly across eastern Oregon and Washington where fuel (vegetation) conditions are very dry and receptive to fire. While thunderstorm chances are now diminishing, additional new fires may continue to emerge in the days ahead as warm, dry weather continues and intensifies into next week.

The largest and most active fires in Washington right now appear to be the Lyons Ferry fire (~30,000 acres), the Royal Lake fire (~12,000 acres), and the Kaiser Canyon fire (~2,200 acres). Keep in mind that, with the rapidly evolving situation, acreage numbers may not be fully accurate on these incidents.

Large wildfires in Oregon and Washington as of Friday morning, July 17, 2026. Many of these fires are new in the last couple days. Data via the DNR Wildfire Intel Dashboard.

Roughly 5,000 lightning strikes have occurred in Washington since Tuesday, many of them occurring with little or no rainfall. Data courtesy National Lightning Detection Network by Vaisala, processed by Iowa Environmental Mesonet. 

Smoke and Air Quality

Eastern Washington woke up to widespread smoke, with the Spokane area in particular getting hammered by smoke from the Lyons Ferry fire. Air quality readings in Spokane have been VERY UNHEALTHY to even HAZARDOUS at times Friday morning. 

GOES satellite imagery at 7 am (Friday July 17).

The air quality index at Liberty Lake (Spokane metro) monitoring station has climbed into HAZARDOUS Friday morning. Data via WA Dept. of Ecology.

As a result, Air Quality Alerts have been issued from now through at least Sunday morning for Spokane, Adams, Whitman, and Lincoln counties. Alerts could be expanded to other areas as the smoke situation evolves. As a reminder, the blog has multiple resources linked on how you can stay safe during periods of wildfire smoke.

Looking Ahead

Through the weekend, wind patterns favor onshore flow and south or southwest winds across eastern Washington. While the air quality in western WA and the Cascades will remain GOOD because of this onshore flow from the Pacific Ocean, areas to the north and east of existing and emerging incidents in eastern Washington and Oregon will experience continued periods of smoke. 

Exact smoke concentrations and locations of worst smoke are difficult to predict with confidence because of the rapidly evolving wildfire situation, not just in Washington but because of the dynamic fire situation in eastern Oregon. If eastern Oregon fires continue to grow, smoke impacts could deteriorate further in south-central and southeastern WA (Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Pullman). 

Fire weather conditions will also remain elevated into next week, and firefighting resources are beginning to get stretched thin, which could lead to additional fire growth on active incidents. The bottom line: stay tuned to your local air quality by visiting fire.airnow.gov -- and we will post another update on Monday. 

Turner Hill fire in North Idaho smoking out Spokane this morning

A fast moving fire started last night in the Turner Hill area, north of Sandpoint. Low mixing heights and a direct wind flow brought smoke through Sandpoint and into Spokane early this morning. Several monitors show Unhealthy NowCast AQI values for several hours. The weather system passing over the region won't help with mixing heights, but changing winds and precipitation should limit the duration of smoke in the Spokane area.

Turner Hill Fire Photo acquired from https://app.watchduty.org/i/108749/reports/656453

The Turner Hill fire is being managed by the Idaho Department of Lands and North Bench Fire District, with over 20 people actively working the fire last night. There was also a brush fire on an I-90 ramp this morning, which contributed a little to the smoke in Spokane this morning.

PM2.5 in north Idaho and Spokane area (8 am, Thursday July 16)

Lots of rain and thunderstorms are actively moving over northwest Washington and northeast Oregon today. Eastern Washington precipitation amounts will be more sporadic. Windy and dry conditions are anticipated for the Columbia Gorge and Cascade gaps of eastern Washington but the humidity levels will surge during the evening. However, a warming and drying trend will kick back in regionally this weekend.

Many lightning strikes are occurring across the region, so new fire ignitions are likely to be discovered over the next few days. Stay tuned for changing conditions and we'll post updates as needed. 

Fire Weather Ramps Up This Week!

Fire Weather This Week

Hot and dry conditions return to the inland Pacific NW today.  Tuesday and Wednesday will get even hotter, and dry thunderstorms are expected east of the Cascades, posing lightning ignition risks.  There may be some precipitation in areas, but fire weather will remain elevated.  We expect slight cooling on Thursday but fire danger will remain high as we approach a drier and hotter weekend.

Forecast from National Weather Service - Spokane Office

Fires in Oregon

The East Evans Creek fire in southwest Oregon, north of Medford, has been producing significant smoke the past few days, with large plumes seen in satellite imagery.  The fire has burned nearly 4,000 acres but there has been a very large firefighter response, with over 1,000 people working the fire, actively protecting homes, and using aircraft to drop both fire retardant and water.  

Other wildfires of note (Anthony, Salmon, and Olive Butte) are clustered around the North Fork John Day Wilderness Area in northeast Oregon.  Incident management teams are working hard on these fires but more activity is expected this week.

Brunswick Complex in BC

The Brunswick Complex in BC received small amounts of precipitation over the weekend, which helped limit activity when coupled with the cooler temperatures.  Forest fuels remain dry and warm and dry weather will build early this week, but some precipitation may materialize on Thursday night.

Smoke Aloft This Morning

Fire in the Northwest Territories are producing copious amounts of smoke, with bands aloft seen as far south as Oregon in satellite imagery this morning.  This isn't a concern for our region, and there is no evidence of smoke mixing down to the surface.

Smoke Coverage from the NOAA Hazard Mapping System for Monday July 13, 2026 (8 am).

Wildfire Complex in British Columbia growing quickly

Brunswick Complex

The Brunswick Creek wildfire started on July 2 near Boston Bar, BC, and quickly took off in steep terrain under hot, dry conditions. Strong winds led to additional nearby fires, including the Ainslie Creek fire which has grown even more.  Together, the Brunswick Complex fires along the Fraser Canyon have burned over 30,000 acres, prompting many evacuations and emergency response in the area.  

Whatcom county was moderately impacted early in the week, and some smoke was possible in Northeast Washington today, but there probably won't be noticeable impacts this weekend.  We expect the fires to continue burning, so Northern Washington will see intermittent smoke impacts throughout the summer.  Wind flow in the near term will help keep most of the smoke in Canada, but parts of Northern Washington will eventually see Canadian smoke.

Aqua / MODIS Imagery for July 8 - Courtesy of NASA - Worldview

New Wildfires in Oregon

Lightning on July 7 ignited new fires in Eastern Oregon.  Currently smoke plumes can be seen in satellite imagery from the Salmon and Greenhorn fires as well as the Anthony Fire.  While we don't expect any impacts in Washington yet, it's possible these fires could grow and eventually impact Southeastern Washington later this summer.

Fire Weather Watch in Central Washington (Saturday)

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Fire Weather Watch on Saturday due to expected dry windy conditions in Central Washington (e.g. Colville Reservation, Okanogan Valley, and Waterville Plateau).  Rapid fire spread is likely so residents should avoid activity that could spark new wildfires. 

Fuels Drying Out

Fire risk will be moderate in the near-term but with higher danger in windy areas. Very dry vegetation means any new or existing fires could spread quickly and be hard to control. Fire potential is expected to rise steadily starting next week, and there is also the potential for more thunderstorms and lightning ignitions.

Celebrate safely this 4th of July

As we head into the holiday weekend, air quality across the state is currently good. Let's help keep it that way by exercising extreme caution with fireworks. Fireworks inject smoke into the atmosphere and are a leading cause of new fire starts around the 4th of July. A recent study found that between 1992 and 2012, the most common day for human-started fires was July 4, with over 7,000 fires starting on that day over the 20 year period (that's 388 fires per year just on one day!)

With warmer and drier weather expected Friday through the weekend and into next week, fire danger will begin to rise. While we still expect generally good air quality statewide, smoke impacts may occur near any new fire starts and in the immediate vicinity of firework activity. 

Fireworks and Air Quality

Fireworks produce dense smoke made up of fine particle pollution and a mix of toxic metals and chemicals. Air quality monitors across the state consistently register elevated PM2.5 concentrations on July 4 and 5. PM2.5 concentrations typically increase rapidly after nightfall on July 4, peak before midnight, and gradually return to normal by the morning of July 5. In communities closest to celebrations, AQI levels can reach the Unhealthy range.  Overcast weather conditions in Western Washington could allow smoke to linger throughout the day, as weak onshore flow and limited vertical mixing is expected.

Be Safe and Help Prevent Wildland Fires:

• Consider attending a public fireworks display rather than lighting fireworks at home.   
• Fireworks are illegal on forest lands.
• Follow all local fireworks rules and restrictions.  Check with local officials for your area.
• Where legal, ignite fireworks on a flat surface away from houses and dry vegetation.
• Keep a bucket of water or garden hose nearby to extinguish fireworks after use.

Smoke from new wildfire in Klickitat County impacts Tri-Cities

A new wildfire ignited Friday afternoon in eastern Klickitat County. The Peterson Fire is estimated at 1,000 acres and is burning near Peterson Road and Alderdale Road. Localized Level 3 "GO NOW" evacuations are in effect as of 4:00 PM Friday, per the Klickitat County Emergency Management Facebook page.

Southwest winds across the Horse Heaven Hills have been breezy, and winds in the Tri-Cities have been sustained around 20mph most of the afternoon with gusts around 30mph. This has kicked up a fair amount of dust and is now combining with smoke from the Peterson Fire.

 

Air Quality Index observations from Kennewick, WA.

The Kennewick–Metaline site is reporting Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups due to elevated PM10 concentrations from dust, while PM2.5 associated with smoke are currently in the Moderate category. Several PurpleAir sensors around the Tri-Cities are also showing deteriorating air quality. 

With a cooler weather pattern in place and improving relative humidity overnight, it's unlikely to remain on the landscape long. However, breezy winds are expected through the weekend, so it will need to be monitored.

Also, be mindful that cloud cover over the weekend may mask satellite wildfire detections. This may impact the air quality forecast located on the map on the home page of the Washington Smoke Blog. If clouds are blocking the satellite's view of the fire, the forecast may not fully capture smoke impacts.

Eastern WA Smoke Update

There are a slew of active brush fires burning across eastern WA, largely driven by yesterday's strong winds and dry conditions. For the most part, air quality impacts have been minimal since Monday. However, this morning smoke from fires east of Omak (Kartar and Omak Lake Fires) is impacting areas near Nespelem and Coulee Dam. These downwind impacts should gradually decrease throughout the day as winds from the west help to disperse smoke, although these same strong winds may also contribute to additional fire growth.   

Current fires in the Columbia Basin remain large (notably the Tule, Juniper Dunes, and Tucannon Fires). While communities downwind and to the east of these active wildfires will potentially experience intermittent smoke impacts, recent fire growth has slowed and containment efforts have steadily increased.

Strong winds continue to influence fire behavior, and elevated fire weather conditions continue through today. Be sure to keep an eye on changing conditions and we'll update as needed. 

Smoke travels westward as wildfires flare up in the Columbia Basin

Fire Activity and Smoke Impacts

With Smoke Ready Week barely a week behind us, the first smoke impacts of the season are being felt across southern Washington. 

Wildfire map from Watch Duty

The Snake River Fire started on June 12 near Clarkston. It has burned 686 acres and is 70% contained. The Juniper Dunes and Twin Sisters fires started on June 13 and have each burned over 3000 acres with 0% containment. Then, on June 14, both the Tule and OIE fires ignited. The Tule Fire has burned at least 5000 acres and is 0% contained. The OIE Fire has burned an estimated 500 acres and, sadly, has claimed several structures according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Forward progress of the OIE Fire has been stopped.

The most active fires on Sunday were the OIE Fire, Juniper Dunes Fire, and, most notably, the Tule Fire. Smoke plumes were visible on satellite imagery as northeast winds transported smoke toward the Columbia River Gorge.

Satellite imagery Sunday at 7:20 PM

The primary source of smoke through the gorge and into the Vancouver-Portland metro is the Tule Fire, which had an impressive plume visible on satellite imagery Sunday afternoon and evening.

Air Quality in The Dalles peaked at 159 (Unhealthy) at 11:00 PM. Several PurpleAir sensors from Goldendale to White Salmon also reported Unhealthy air quality. As of 9:00 AM Monday morning, Prosser is reporting Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.

Critical Fire Weather Tuesday

Northeast winds will transition back to westerlies this afternoon and evening as a marine push brings relief from the heat in Western Washington. As the westerlies begin to push across the Cascades, elevated fire weather conditions will develop Monday evening with hot, dry air in place.

On Tuesday, a strong, dry cold front will bring critical fire weather conditions to eastern Washington. With poor relative humidity recovery expected Monday night, a very warm and dry airmass will be in place as the winds arrive Tuesday morning. Any new starts could spread quickly as winds gust between 30-45mph. Crews may struggle to control existing incidents, particularly the Tule Fire and the Juniper Dunes Fire.

A Red Flag Warning is in effect for much of eastern Washington from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM Tuesday.

Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

Elevated fire weather conditions will be intermittent throughout the rest of the week as winds remain breezy and with little, if any, precipitation in sight. 

Smoke Forecast

As westerly winds move back across the Cascades, areas to the west of existing fires will see improving air quality, especially Monday evening through Tuesday morning. This includes the Portland-Vancouver metro and the Columbia River Gorge.

Additional growth on existing fires, particularly the Tule Fire, will be possible Tuesday afternoon. The extent of fire growth will be dependent on containment progress on Monday. Smoke impacts may be possible for areas east of existing fires Tuesday afternoon and evening, including the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, and the Palouse. Winds will turn more northerly as the evening progresses, sending smoke south across the Oregon border.

As always, it is impossible to predict where new ignitions will take place. New fires have potential to grow quickly on Tuesday, and the onset of smoke impacts may occur in a matter of minutes. Check out our blog posts from Smoke Ready Week to learn how you can prepare!

Closing out Smoke Ready Week

As we reach the end of Smoke Ready Week, now is the perfect time to make sure you have a plan for smoke events. With summer almost upon us and the fire risk looking high across the PNW, preparing in advance is the best way to limit the stress and anxiety of wildfire season. We wanted to share a few essential tips for protecting yourself, as well as updates to a key air quality resource.

Essential #SmokeReady tips

Our post from Monday (6/1/26) outlined how to prepare for and respond to smoke events. This includes:

• Identifying your risk level based on age and health conditions
• Talking to your healthcare provider about smoke and your health
• Knowing the main symptoms of smoke exposure
• Finding a reliable way to monitoring air quality conditions
• EPA's updated Fire & Smoke Map (more on this later) is at the top of this page
• The WA Air Quality Map has sensor and monitors around the state
• Using the Air Quality Index (AQI) to decide when conditions are safe
• Knowing how to clean your indoor air
• Use a portable air cleaner or DIY clean air fan and create a cleaner air room
• Wear an N95 respirator if you must go outside when it's smoky

Look above for daily smoke forecasts

The map at the top of this page was updated and includes a few helpful changes. You can still find the daily smoke forecasts, but now with a new toggle feature. Click on any forecast day and you'll see a zonal AQI forecast for that day. These are daily forecasts representing an average for the day. Hour-to-hour air quality conditions may be below or above the displayed category. 

In addition, the zonal forecast represents an average for that zone. If a zone is labeled "Moderate," that isn't a guarantee that every location within the zone is experiencing moderate air quality. One portion may be experiencing "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" (USG) while another location is observing "Good" air quality.

The 5-day forecasts come from a mix of professional judgement by air quality forecasters at local clean air agencies and Ecology, PM2.5 predictions from a machine learning model, and PM2.5 forecasts from Ecology's HYSPLIT dispersion model. For all the fun details, click the "Learn about forecasts" link that pops up when you click on a forecast day. 

Daily forecasts are first published around 6 a.m. and may be updated throughout the morning as air quality forecasters make manual adjustments.

A quick guide to fire and smoke map symbols

Not all symbols are the same! The larger circles are permanent air quality monitors operated by state, local, and tribal air quality professionals. Circles denoted with a "T" are temporary monitors. 

The smaller circles are air sensors, and include Purple Air low-cost sensors (with EPA's correction equation applied) as well as SensWA sensors designed and built by Ecology. SensWA sensors undergo quality-control checks, real-time data screening, and bias corrections. To see locations of SensWA sensors throughout the state, make sure the "SensWA" toggle under the "Air Sensor" layer is selected (after clicking the "Map Settings" button in the upper right). Additional layers to toggle on/off for more information include smoke outlooks, fire incidents, and satellite-detected smoke plumes.

Stay safe this summer!

Thanks for tuning in during Smoke Ready Week! Be sure to bookmark the blog for smoke updates over the next few months.

Employers should prepare now for wildfire season

Smoke Ready Week is the perfect time for employers to prepare for wildfire season. Employers should take proactive steps to protect workers by:

• Preparing a written wildfire smoke response plan
• Providing wildfire smoke training to employees
• Knowing where to find current AQI conditions

Remember, when the AQI is above 101, employers must provide respirators to workers for voluntary use. A NIOSH-approved N95 mask is the best way to protect workers. 

Visit Lni.wa.gov/BeSmokeReady for the complete rules and tips on how L&I can help businesses with their safety plans free of charge.