Washington Wildfires Burn 330K Acres; State Urges Extreme Caution

OLYMPIA, WA — Firefighters across the state are battling extreme weather to get a handle on dozens of fires burning in Washington. By the state's accounting, nearly 60 wildfires have sparked over the past 24 hours, including at least nine large fires.

During a press conference from Olympia on Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee said more than 330,000 acres burned over 24 hours — a staggering figure that Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said is more than double the acreage burned in all of 2019.

"These conditions were unprecedented, they led to explosive growth of these fires as a result of the hot and windy and very, very low humidity conditions," Inslee said. "The devastation is all over our state."

The governor said he directed the state's Emergency Management Division and Department of Social and Health Services to help his office determine what kinds of emergency proclamations will be most useful to quickly provide needed aid throughout the state. Wildland teams mobilized by the state include more than 50 engines and hand crews and a fleet of helicopters and aircraft.

Crews battled high winds as fires ballooned Monday

Strong gusts, reaching 65 mph in some areas, added to the challenges Monday, keeping firefighting aircrafts grounded as winds fanned the flames and ballooned small fires into major incidents.

In Whitman County, flames ripped through the town of Malden, destroying approximately 80 percent of the town, including its City Hall, library and fire station, Inslee said. In Okanogan County, the Cold Springs Fire grew to 140,000 acres with limited to no containment by Tuesday.

Smoke from the fires in Eastern and Western Washington poured into Puget Sound, degrading air quality in many towns to "unhealthy" and "very unhealthy" ranges.

Related: Pierce County Wildfires Force Evacuations, Road Closures, Outages

Inslee said more than two dozen fires burned west of the Cascades Tuesday, prompting some evacuations in several Pierce County towns. In Graham, one fire destroyed at least eight homes, and fires burning near State Route 410 will keep the highway closed for days, officials said. Others ignited around Bonney Lake, Sumner, Puyallup, Lakewood and Tacoma. Some Level 3 evacuations remained in place for Graham and Bonney Lake Tuesday evening.

The state said it is unaware of injuries or deaths linked to any of the fires, crediting the nonstop work of firefighters and cooperation with evacuation orders.

State urges extreme caution as dangerous fire conditions continue through the week

With the absence of lightning strikes, the State Department of Natural Resources believes all of the recent fires are human-caused in some fashion. Franz said it was too early to pinpoint the ignition sources or determine whether any were set intentionally.

Inslee underlined the ease at which fires can ignite accidentally in these conditions, from even the simplest spark.

"It's not just campfires that cause fires," Inslee said. "It's a car that's parked in the grass and ignites the grass underneath it, it's a spark when you're target practicing."

The governor pointed to a changing climate as a culprit, setting the course for the critical conditions the state faces today.

"This is not your old Washington, we now live in a climate change world," Inslee said. "This vegetation that used to have a little humidity in it just doesn't have it anymore...this is a west side issue as much as an east side issue."

Several counties, including King, Pierce and Snohomish, upgraded their burn bans Tuesday, further prohibiting outdoor burning. The ban includes backyard fire pits and campfires. Washington State Parks also upgraded campfire bans to the highest levels, prohibiting wood and charcoal fires at state parks and ocean beaches.

The state urges everyone to take the risks seriously and do their part to avoid any activity that could result in more devastation.

"Please help us prevent new fires," Franz said. "We simply do not have the capacity to continue to fight new fires."