Fires update? (Seattle, Wenatchee, Pacific: 2015, cabin, dryer)

[Podo944]

Hi, I was wondering how you all are doing and if the fires up there have subsided? I hear it was very smokey for a while, has that cleared up?

[crf450ish]

Originally Posted by Podo944

Hi, I was wondering how you all are doing and if the fires up there have subsided? I hear it was very smokey for a while, has that cleared up?

InciWeb the Incident Information System: Washington State: Northeast Incidents

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by crf450ish

InciWeb the Incident Information System: Washington State: Northeast Incidents

Thanks, I was hoping for more of a general or personal answer... it looks like there are still several fires then in the area, but I can't tell from the link if it is still apocalyptic like it was a couple of weeks ago. I have trouble reading those things.

Thanks though anyway

[jacqueg]

I know the period you are talking about. In the Seattle area it was pretty smoky for a few days. Isn't now, because it's raining (not drizzling, raining) here, and has been for over a week. That's bound to have had a beneficial effect on the Olympic fires.

[Olympian2]

Originally Posted by jacqueg

Isn't now, because it's raining (not drizzling, raining) here, and has been for over a week. That's bound to have had a beneficial effect on the Olympic fires.

The Paradise rainforest wildfire on the Olympic Peninsula is essentially out: This will be the last update unless significant activity occurs. (The tadpoles have already hatched!)

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by jacqueg

I know the period you are talking about. In the Seattle area it was pretty smoky for a few days. Isn't now, because it's raining (not drizzling, raining) here, and has been for over a week. That's bound to have had a beneficial effect on the Olympic fires.

That's wonderful news, thanks!

[StealthRabbit]

The rain on the we_tside does not equal beneficial rain on the east side, but it can mean seriously harmful winds.

currently the cooler temps are helping the fire crews, but we are far from out-of-the-woods.

Very dry under-story (ladder) fuels, next week is HOT and windy.

These fires are very bad, but very small and slow compared to the Big We-Tside burn (100+ acres / minute) Consumed as much forest in 3 days as these have done in 3 weeks. be wise! be prepared!

AK is the place that is in trouble (permafrost damage and still MANY huge fires)

I like the comprehensive view of LARGE fires (but is still not TOTAL fires... AK reports 148 active fires as of today)
https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm

[PS90]

Originally Posted by crf450ish

InciWeb the Incident Information System: Washington State: Northeast Incidents

This is one of the better, more up-to-date websites on the current fire activity.

In a nutshell - it was really bad for a few weeks, with over a dozen large areas on Level 3 evacs, and the fires led to wide-spread moderately to severely unhealthy air in most of Eastern Washington. The last 5-6 days, though, it has rained significantly for the first time in at least two months, and it has cooled-off quite a bit - which has given the firefighters time and conditions to create decent firelines.

Personally, we were on Level 2 evacuations twice for the Mable Valley fire (one of the smaller fires, relatively speaking), but that one is essentially out at this point.

So, things are a lot better - for now. But summer's not over yet.

[FVWinters]

Be aware of another change for the warmer, windier and dryer regime we have had throughout the summer. Firefighters have made significant gains during this intrusion of autumn but summer returns to the Pacific Northwest starting later this week and may last through the weekend.
The weather dudes (and dudesses) are also looking at the likelihood of this next warm (hot) spell ending with thunderstorms and oodles of dry lightning strikes but that is more than a week out so that may not happen. Hope not, anyway...

[509]

Originally Posted by FVWinters

Be aware of another change for the warmer, windier and dryer regime we have had throughout the summer. Firefighters have made significant gains during this intrusion of autumn but summer returns to the Pacific Northwest starting later this week and may last through the weekend.
The weather dudes (and dudesses) are also looking at the likelihood of this next warm (hot) spell ending with thunderstorms and oodles of dry lightning strikes but that is more than a week out so that may not happen. Hope not, anyway...

Where did you hear this rumor of dry lightning??

On a fire a National Weather Service guy told me that the last date for widespread dry lighting in eastern Washington was usually around September 9th.

So in 2012 on September 9th the forecast was for 20% chance of lightning. I went up to our cabin and stacked firewood around the eaves of the cabin for the winter. That night all hell broke loose in the Wenatchee Valley....and the nice firefighters took all my firewood and threw it into the meadow away from my cabin!!! I did work my 14 days on the fire and turned down an assignment to come back for a additional seven. I then went back up to the cabin and stacked the firewood AGAIN around the eaves of the cabin.

TODAY in 2015.....I went up to my cabin and stacked firewood around the eaves of the cabin.

DO NOT TALK ABOUT DRY LIGHTING. This fire season needs to be over, done, finished.