State lands officials don’t want a repeat of last year’s Labor Day weekend, when more than 500,000 acres burned throughout Washington in less than 36 hours.
On Thursday, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz encouraged people to follow statewide burn bans and stay vigilant to help prevent human-caused wildfires over the holiday weekend.
Last year, fires that started over Labor Day weekend accounted for more than 70 percent of all acres burned in 2020, according to a news release from the Department of Natural Resources.
“This is not the time to let our guard down,” Franz said in the news release. “Last year, only 93,000 acres had burned by the end of August. What happened next showed us how fast things can change. … I’m asking the public to help prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy by avoiding starting outdoor fires.”
Washington has seen a record-breaking number — more than 1,700 wildfires so far this season. That surpasses 2020. So far this year, about 635,000 acres have burned, more than the 2018 and 2019 fire seasons combined, the Department of Natural Resources said.
The 2021 fire season began months earlier than usual due to historic drought conditions. The Department of Natural Resources said firefighters are already worn out, and resources are spread thin.
“Fire danger east of the Cascades remains very high to extreme in most areas. Unfavorable wind conditions can rapidly turn even the smallest fire into a large one,” the news release states.
Last year’s Labor Day weekend fires ravaged the town of Malden, and burned 283 homes and more than 600,000 acres across the state, according to the news release.
“The resulting smoke temporarily gave Western Washington the worst air quality in the world,” the Department of Natural Resources said.
Oregon also saw devastating wildfire activity fueled by an easterly windstorm last Labor Day weekend.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Portland said Friday that they don’t expect any kind of high-wind event to push fires westward into the valley this weekend.
There are a few fires burning in the Cascades, including the Bull Complex north of Detroit, Ore., and Middle Fork Complex near Oakridge, Ore., that are producing smoke. However, the Weather Service is not expecting it to pour into the valley like last year, meteorologist John Bumgardner said.
There could be a little smoke today, Bumgardner said, but it should be gone by the afternoon.
Vancouver’s high temperature for the holiday weekend will be in the low to mid-80s, with a low in the low to mid-50s.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources said people should: Avoid starting outdoor fires and parking vehicles on grassy areas; make sure dirt bikes and ATVs have operating spark arrestors; create defensible space and reduce dry fuels around their homes; clean rooftops and gutters; and abide by burn ban restrictions.
