As summer nears, Washington at 'epicenter' of wildfire threat [View all]

EVERETT — As smoke smothered the East Coast this week, a dry May increased the potential for more serious fires later this summer in Western Washington — with a new forecast showing the region has one of the worst outlooks in the nation.

The National Interagency Fire Center released its updated fire report on June 1 and it noted all but the southeastern tip of Washington were at “above normal” fire potential for July to September. According to the fire center, this means “a greater than usual likelihood that significant wildfires will occur.”

Everett received just 0.55 inches of rain in May, well down from its normal precipitation of 2.70 inches, according to NWS data.

On June 6, the National Weather Service issued its first red flag warning for west of the Cascades this year, another sign fire season is here.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/as-summer-nears-washington-at-epicenter-of-wildfire-threat/

Oh joy.