Wildfire smoke and extreme heat disrupt summer plans across Seattle

WEST SEATTLE - High temperatures and dense wildfire smoke are blanketing the Seattle area, triggering air quality alerts and forcing local families and specialized programs to drastically alter their plans.

Seattle Parks and Recreation closed all city wading pools due to poor air quality on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving spray parks as one of the few remaining outdoor options for families trying to stay cool. Seattle Emergency Management is urging everyone to limit outdoor activities as smoke and high temperatures impact sensitive individuals.

"This is probably the worst I’ve seen it in Seattle," said Chris Straitz, while visiting Westcrest Park with his young child.

Straitz and other local families are keeping outdoor trips short, taking frequent breaks in the shade, and packing plenty of fluids to manage the hazardous conditions.

Local perspective:

The extreme weather has especially affected one local children's program. The Brave Explorers Camp is an intensive week-long program operated through the Brave Clinic. The organization spent a year planning this annual event. 

"Our mission is to provide camp for children who can use their brave voice across settings with different people in different situations," said Dr. Tracey Ward, founder and director of Brave Explorers Camp.

The camp works with children who have selective mutism, an anxiety disorder that prevents them from speaking with people outside their home. A key part of the camp's curriculum involves outdoor field trips and interactions to help kids exercise their verbal skills. However, the thick smoke and heat forced organizers to scrap some of their outdoor plans and pivot activities indoors.

"We were looking at the weather, and we thought it’s going to be better for us to make sure kids are safe and parents feel comfortable," said Ward.

For now, counselors are keeping the children safe inside while monitoring the forecast. Organizers are hoping for the skies to clear in time for the camp's outdoor grand finale.

"We’re hoping tomorrow the weather is ok. We have a carnival happening tomorrow. It’s supposed to be outside. And if not, we’ll pivot," said Ward.

What's next:

The Brave Explorers founder said smoke conditions have never been this bad during camp week. Because timing is so critical for school year preparation, the clinic is now considering a schedule shift for future years.

"It’s best for kids to have a big intensive experience like this close to school. That way we can just roll into school year. So, [we’re] considering maybe moving [camp] earlier in the summer and then figuring out how we can make sure that the treatment transfers back to school," said Ward.

Emergency management officials continue asking residents to monitor the Air Quality Index (AQI) before heading outdoors and to stay hydrated as high temperatures persist over the next few days.

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