Firefighters are urging you not to let your guard down, even with rain on the horizon for the next few days.
At least 5 large wildfires are still burning across Washington right now, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ Fire Dashboard.
“Don’t let your guard down. Just ‘cause it rains a little bit this weekend, don’t go out and start any bon fires or camp fires,” said Bud Backer, Chief of East Pierce Fire & Rescue.
“It’s still gonna be dangerous. And it’ll only take a day or two for things to dry out again.”
Firefighters hope to fully contain the Sumner Grade Fire soon, as it’s currently 95% contained after burning nearly 500 acres.
Firefighters say devastating wildfires like the Sumner Grade Fire are still a very real possibility even with rain in the upcoming forecast.
The winds may have calmed and the temperatures may have dropped across the region since last week, but everyone should still remain cautious.
The Cold Springs Fire that charred nearly 190,000 acres in Okanogan County is now 80% contained.
The Big Hollow Fire that’s burning northeast of Vancouver is only 15% contained.
The Cold Creek Fire has burned approximately 252 acres near White Pass and it’s only 5% contained.
“Just because we’re getting in towards October and fall months doesn’t mean we can’t have another dry snap of offshore flow that can push the fire danger right back up to extreme really, really quickly,” said Vaughn Cork, Fuels Analyst for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
“We won’t see any major gains in the heavy stuff for several weeks. It takes a long time of sustained cool damp weather with some precipitation to really have an impact on those heavier fuels and soils out there,” Cork added.
