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Major fire concerns in cities, other areas with hot and dry conditions
As a heatwave envelops Washington, some concerning statistics have emerged: nearly 90% of all wildfires in Washington state have been caused by people.
SEATTLE - As a heatwave envelops Washington, some concerning statistics have emerged: nearly 90% of all wildfires in Washington state have been caused by people.
Roughly 110,000 acres have burned in Washington so far this year. Only 2,400 acres worth of fires have been caused by lightning strikes, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center (NWCC).
"The biggest message is the conditions this time of year are hot, dry and any spark or ignition has the potential to turn into a large catastrophic fire," said Carol Connolly, with NWCC.
"We can’t prevent the lightning from coming in, but we can prevent those ignition sources from humans."
Local firefighters respond to more brush fires this year than all of 2022
With these searing weather conditions, firefighters are standing by for anything that sparks, and they are not having to wait very long for the next call.
On Monday, an encampment fire near South Lake Union exploded in size, sending black smoke high into the sky. The fire, which was started inside a homeless encampment, isn’t considered a wildfire, but its explosion in size was a good reminder of how all parts of Washington are in desperate need of rain. Without any rain or relief in sight, precautions are needed.
According to Climate Central, parts of Washington now experience "fire weather" more than twice as often as we did in 1973. In other words, we’re seeing more heat, dryness and wind than we used to. Those types of risks mean that any spark can turn into a raging inferno.
A red flag warning that began earlier this week is still in effect for the western slopes of the Cascades until later Tuesday night.
See more wildfire coverage here
People can help prevent wildfires through simple strategies that create fewer risks:
- Never burn outside when it’s windy, hot or if vegetation is dry.
- Avoid grilling near vegetation, and avoid dumping hot coals.
- Always make sure chains or other metal parts on vehicles or trailers are not dragging.
- Don’t park a vehicle on dry grass.