Wednesday Smoke Recap and New Fires

Wednesday Smoke Recap

It was an interesting air quality scenario on Wednesday as smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire crossed the Cascades Tuesday night and settled over the Columbia Basin Wednesday morning.

In a "normal scenario," smoke trapped beneath an inversion layer will disperse and air quality will improve as the inversion breaks. But on Wednesday, smoke was trapped just above the morning surface inversion. As the inversion broke, the substantial smoke plume began to mix both up and down, and air quality began to deteriorate during the late morning hours. Air quality was mostly Moderate or Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, though a few monitors and sensors did record a brief period of Unhealthy air.

The reduced fire activity at Bear Gulch has resulted in less smoke over eastern Washington Thursday morning, though there was some smoke trapped underneath the morning inversion. With less smoke overhead, we're seeing a more "normal" scenario play out and air quality is improving as the inversion breaks.

Two New Wildfires
With hot, dry, and windy conditions developing Wednesday afternoon, two new large incidents emerged. The Central Ferry Fire in southwest Whitman County grew to approximately 6,000 acres and remains 0% contained. Smoke impacts are confined to the immediate area surrounding the fire, particularly along the Snake River.

The Central Ferry Fire in Whitman County on August 13, 2024. Courtesy: Pullman News Radio

In Lincoln County, the Crescent Road Fire is burning just south of the Spokane River and crossed into far northwest Spokane County Wednesday night. It's currently 779 acres and 0% contained. Fire activity has begun to increase late Thursday morning, and air quality near and just north of the fire will likely range from MODERATE to UNHEALTHY, especially along SR-231 and SR-291.

Fire danger decreases Friday into the weekend with widespread rainfall in and west of the Cascades. Increased relative humidity and scattered showers east of the Cascades will reduce smoke output from new and existing fires, and air quality is expected to improve.

Smoke on the Move

This morning's satellite image showcases two impressive narrow bands of smoke moving across the state:

GOES-WEST satellite image 13 Aug 2025 15:36Z

The northernmost plume is smoke from the Mount Underwood Fire on Vancouver Island, while smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire is drifting across the middle of the state. 

This morning, a fascinating wave-like pattern formed as smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire drifted above Snoqualmie Pass:

Smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire drifts over Snoqualmie Pass. Courtesy DNR/Pano.

A large pyrocumulus cloud was also visible above the Bear Gulch Fire. These "fire clouds" form over large heat sources due to intense upward vertical motion of air cooling and condensing as it rises.

Pyrocumulus over the Bear Gulch Fire. Courtesy DNR/Pano.

Although most of the smoke is above us in the atmosphere, it's currently contributing to moderate air quality in Central Washington and hazy skies throughout the state. Winds should continue pushing the smoke to the east today. 

Rain remains in the forecast, arriving in Western Washington Thursday evening before spreading east through Saturday--great news for dampening fire activity and reducing smoke impacts across the state.

New Fire in British Columbia and Rain on the Way

What’s in the Air Today

Heavy smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire is creating HAZARDOUS air quality around Lake Cushman this morning, with smoke drifting south into Hoodsport. As a result, an Air Quality Alert has been issued for Mason County, effective until 9 AM Friday August 15 due to the smoke from Bear Gulch fire.  For current smoke conditions and forecasts in the Bear Gulch area, check the Smoke Outlook. 

Bear Gulch Fire: A helicopter drops water on a hotspot at the fire's edge, courtesy of InciWeb

Elsewhere, air quality is MODERATE to the east of Bear Gulch, including the Kitsap Peninsula and Shelton. Some smoke may drift into the southern Puget Lowlands today, mixing with higher ozone concentrations due increased temperatures, but overall air quality should remain moderate. Along the coast today near Taholah, air quality is also MODERATE but should improve as concentrations drop through the day.

A new wildfire started Monday near Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. It has grown quickly over the past 24 hours and is now at 1,556 acres. Smoke from this fire has been moving down along the Washington coast but is currently staying offshore. As more smoke is produced and winds shift from the northwest later today, smoke will be visible through most of western Washington this evening. However, most of this smoke is expected to remain high in the atmosphere and should not affect air quality at the surface. Check the surface quality map above this post to see what the AQI is near your location. 

Mount Underwood fire near Port Alberni B.C. on August, courtesy of BC Wildfire Service 

Early tomorrow morning, smoke could move over the east slopes of the Cascades and spread into eastern Washington, leading to moderate air quality for a time. Winds should push the smoke east out of the state by tomorrow evening, allowing conditions to improve.

Satellite imagery of smoke over WA this morning

Later This Week – A Wet Turn for August

Looking toward the end of the week, we’re seeing an unusual trend for August: rain, and plenty of it. Areas around Puget Sound could see up to 1 inch, with the Olympics and Cascades possibly picking up as much as 2 inches. Eastern Washington will have a shot at some rainfall as well, though amounts will be lighter than on the west side. This wet system should help slow ongoing fire activity and reduce the risk of new starts, with minimal smoke impacts expected across the region.

Total 48 hour rain accumulation (in) over WA by this Saturday at 5 AM

Weekend Update - Bear Gulch still going strong and warmer weather this weekend

Washington saw a shift to cooler, cloudier conditions this week as a cold front ushered in a notable rain event. The change offered some reprieve from drought and fire activity.  However, over the next few days Washington will see a shift toward hotter, drier conditions that elevate fire weather concerns. 

In western Washington, ridging from the northeastern Pacific will bring a warming and drying trend through early next week, with highs in the 80s by Sunday and Monday. Overnight humidity recoveries will remain good in the near term, but fire danger will increase late this weekend. Eastern Washington will experience even hotter conditions, with widespread 90s and some locations—such as Omak, Wenatchee, Moses Lake, and Lewiston—approaching 100°F on Monday. 

The Bear Gulch fire in Mason County continues to show active behavior, which will likely increase through the weekend.  Satellite imagery shows the Bear Gulch as the only source of visible smoke right now in the State.  Residents in the area (e.g. Hoodsport) should continue to expect poor air quality late at night and in the mornings.  However, daily clearing should occur as it gets warmer and smoke lofts higher in the atmosphere.  Moderate air quality in the greater Puget Sound region may occur throughout the weekend as the Bear Gulch fire grows.  For more a detailed forecast about the Bear Gulch fire, see the Smoke Outlook.

Residents in Eastern Washington are currently experiencing Good air quality, but it wouldn't be surprising if moderate smoke is generated on hot days as fires increase their activity. Winds east of the Cascades will strengthen early next week, but there is an expected cooling trend midweek.

National Weather Service Infographic for Friday, August 8.

The Bear Gulch Fire, Smoke in the Puget Sound, and best of all, Rain in the Forecast

Many folks in Puget Sound smelled and saw smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire Friday afternoon, Sunday night and even a little this Monday morning. While some areas experienced elevated smoke for a few hours Sunday night, the smoke didn't hang around long enough that AQI NOWcast exceeded moderate (yellow) conditions. Most air monitors and sensors around Puget Sound returned to an AQI reading good (green) this morning, but have since gone back to moderate. With the exception of those communities closest to the fire, we do not expect air quality around the Puget Sound to get worse than moderate over the next few days, and will likely continue to vary between good and moderate. Sensors in the Cascades also report moderate air quality from smoke lingering at upper elevations. The following plot shows smoke yesterday afternoon and evening between 1 and 3 km elevation over Tacoma.

    Ceilometer data from the Tacoma South L-Street air monitoring station, courtesy of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency

Cooler temperatures and high relative humidity over the next few days will hopefully keep fire activity to a minimum, but we're really all looking at Wednesday. Forecasts predict a front moving through early Wednesday morning bringing showers throughout the day across all Western Washington, with potential for 0.3 to 1" precipitation around Cushman. It will likely not be enough to put the fire out altogether, but will be a huge help to our fire fighters and in clearing smoke from the air. Forecasts for this weekend and next week will be addressed in a post later this week.

Probability of total rainfall exceeding 0.5" for Wednesday, August 6th

Smoke Update: Bear Gulch and New Fires in Central and Eastern WA

In the Olympics, the Bear Gulch Fire grew rapidly over the past couple of days to 3,900 acres. The fire will continue to actively burn, but compared to the unhealthy air quality earlier this week smoke impacts should be much more moderate due to cooler and wetter weather. However, communities closest to the fire will continue to experience the greatest smoke impacts. At higher elevations in the Olympics, smoke may adversely affect hikers, campers, and park visitors. Nearby, the Hamma Fire is 80% contained; smoke impacts from that fire will be minimal. Hazy skies will continue to be visible in the region.

Note also that there is a smoke outlook for the Bear Gulch Fire area that is updated daily--click the box around the fire at the map at the top of this page for the most recent outlook.

Bear Gulch fire perimeter and closure map. 

A few new fires began yesterday in Central and Eastern WA, likely sparked by lightning. The Stud Horse Fire (2 miles east of Winthrop) is currently causing smoke impacts in the Winthrop and Twisp area. The Siwash Fire (east of Tonasket), Kinkaid Creek Fire (8 miles north of Nespelem), and Kaiser Canyon Fire (3 miles south of Nespelem) are also causing local smoke impacts. Communities closest to these new fires will observe periods of degraded air quality (moderate to USG) depending on fire behavior.

Good news: other fires in the state are exhibiting minimal fire activity and generating minimal smoke impacts.

Outlook: There is a risk of thunderstorms and gusty winds in Eastern WA today, which could ignite new wildfires and lead to rapid spread. Looking ahead to the middle of next week, there is the potential for rain in Western WA, although how much rain is still an open question. Unfortunately hot and dry conditions statewide will likely return next weekend. For now--and over the next few days--air quality will be mostly good across the state, except near active fires.

Fire boat on Lake Cushman with the Bear Gulch plume in the background. Source: Inciweb

Warm and Dry Summer Contributes to Wildfires on the Olympic Peninsula

Purple air sensors near Lake Cushman currently report hazardous air quality due to the Bear Gulch Fire. Vertical mixing and dispersion should improve air quality in the area throughout the day. That said, warm and dry conditions could increase fire activity and cause air quality to degrade later this evening. The fire is burning in steep terrain, causing challenges for firefighting efforts. Firefighting crews are currently protecting the Staircase Area and other nearby park structures. The Bear Gulch Fire will likely burn for several weeks until the area receives significant precipitation, causing intermittent smoke impacts for the foreseeable future.

Nearby fires are also contributing smoke in the Lake Cushman/Hoodsport Area. The Hamma Fire (about 2.5 miles northwest of Eldon) began on July 27th and the Browns Creek Fire south of Lake Cushman started yesterday afternoon and has burned about 12 acres. 

Smoke plumes from the Bear Gulch and Hamma Fires. Source: Inciweb.

The South Huckleberry Fire, west of Lake Quinault, was reported this morning at about 15 acres with a smoke plume visible on satellite imagery.

Highlighted circle shows smoke plumes from the South Huckleberry, Hamma, Browns Creek, and Bear Gulch Fires. GOES-WEST 29 JUL 2025 17:16Z

Communities near these active fires will observe the greatest smoke impacts overnight and into the morning hours before smoke disperses during the day. Kitsap County may also experience periods of moderate air quality. Outside of these areas, surface air quality should continue to be mostly good in Western Washington, although upper-level haze will be visible throughout the region.

As for the rest of the state, recent air quality has generally been good throughout Central and Eastern WA. Containment has increased for the larger fires; the Burdoin, Hope, and Lake Spokane fires have not grown significantly and continue to show little activity. The Pomas Fire continues to burn near Entiat with minimal smoke impacts. 

Continued hot and dry conditions statewide could increase smoke production from active fires in coming days. Thunderstorms Wednesday through Friday bring the potential for new fire starts with the greatest risk Wednesday with dry thunderstorms over the Cascades.

Update: July 30, 3:30 PM Smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire is impacting most of Mason County and causing unhealthy air quality throughout the region. This was unexpected based on forecast winds, but when smoke is thick enough it can stabilize the atmosphere and change the local weather. We don't yet know how long the smoke will last or how far from the source it will spread. All residents in Mason County should limit their outdoor exposure this evening. Residents in North Thurston and south Kitsap may also see some smoke impacts. We'll keep you updated as we get more information.

A Short but Welcome Reprieve from Hot, Dry Conditions

 

Fire Updates

While the weekend remained hot and windy, two notable wildfires ignited: the Lake Spokane Fire (located Northwest of Spokane) and the Burdoin Fire (located about 2.5 miles east of White Salmon, WA, along the Columbia River).

View of Burdoin Fire from Oregon. Image courtesy Burdoin Fire Facebook. 

The Lake Spokane Fire is currently burning 1,751 acres and is 1% contained. The Burdoin Fire has rapidly expanded to 10,730 acres since its ignition Friday afternoon, fueled by strong winds gusting through the Columbia River Gorge on Friday and Saturday. It remains at 0% containment.

View of Lake Spokane Fire. Image courtesy of Snohomish FD4.

Air Quality Overview

Air quality is currently GOOD across Western Washington, thanks to a low-pressure system that moved in over the weekend, clearing out much of the hazy air. In Eastern Washington, MODERATE air quality has been reported across the Columbia Basin due to smoke from the Burdoin fire. Areas near the Lake Spokane fire have experienced air quality rising to UNHEALTHY just this afternoon. If you're in areas with elevated smoke levels, it's best to stay indoors, limit strenuous outdoor activity, and keep windows closed to reduce exposure.

Smoke from Burdoin Fire as seen from Columbia River. Image courtesy Burdoin Fire Facebook.

Weather Outlook

Today and tomorrow bring a short reprieve from critical fire weather as cooler temperatures settle in. The low-pressure system will move slowly across the state, bringing cooler conditions, scattered rain showers, and low winds, a welcome break in what has been a hot, active fire season. Starting Wednesday, Eastern Washington will return to very warm and dry conditions. Winds will increase by Thursday, setting up a period of hot, dry, and windy weather, ideal conditions for new wildfire starts. Smoke impacts could increase by the end of the week, so keep an eye on local air quality conditions.

Fire Containment Update

There is some good news: the Hope and Pomas Fires are now producing significantly less smoke, and the Western Pines Fire is 100% contained!

As always, check the air quality map at the top of this page for the most up-to-date conditions and stay smoke-aware.

Onshore Winds and Cooler Temps this Weekend

Fire activity has continued across Washington this week. On the west side of the state, the Bear Gulch Fire continues to burn near the Staircase entrance to Olympic National Park. The fire is 562 acres and 19% contained. Hot and dry weather led to increased fire activity this week, but cooler weather is on the way (more on that later).

The Bear Gulch Fire burning in steep terrain above Lake Cushman on Wednesday, July 16.

Fires also continue east of the Cascades. The Pomas Fire is 3521 acres, burning very far up the Entiat River Valley - also in steep, rugged terrain.

The Hope Fire, north of Kettle Falls, is 7414 acres and 25% contained. 

View of the Hope Fire from Churchill Mountain, Thursday July 17, 2025. Credit: Ryan Sullivan, NW Team 8.

The two other large fires in the state are the Greenacres Fire and Western Pines Fire, but both are now 95% contained and producing minimal to no smoke. 

With the hot weather and increased fire activity this week, there have been reports of minor smoke and haze across the state. Luckily, surface air quality has generally remained in the GOOD to MODERATE category. Additionally, a frontal system is moving across the state Friday afternoon, helping to further clear out smoke/haze for most areas. 

This frontal system is also producing high fire danger across eastern Washington. A Red Flag Warning is in place across the Columbia Basin due to a combination of high winds, hot temperatures, and dry air.

After this latest peak in fire danger, temperatures will continue to cool down statewide Saturday into Sunday and fire danger will gradually wane. As a result, active fires will likely produce less smoke going forward into early next week. Still, minor to moderate smoke impacts may continue for communities in close proximity to any new or existing fires.

As a reminder, you can always stay updated on current air quality by viewing the map at the top of the blog site. Have a great weekend!

Canadian smoke and critical fire weather

Smoke from the Placer Creek Fire in Southern BC is impacting communities in northeastern Washington. The fire began over the weekend and has quickly grown to 6400 acres. This morning's satellite image shows the smoke plume moving southeast.

GOES-WEST 14 Jul 2025 15:11Z

Smoke is also visible west of Tonasket:

Smoke visible at Aeneas Mountain west of Tonasket. Image courtesy: DNR/Pano

Smoke from the fire will continue to impact northeastern Washington until shifting winds this afternoon push the smoke south into the Okanogan Valley.

Smoke from the Hope and Western Pines Fires in northeastern WA continue to impact nearby communities. Firefighting efforts on both fires continue, but hot, dry, and windy conditions will challenge efforts and increase fire activity. Communities nearby to both fires should continue to expect intermittent smoke impacts. In general, most of Central and Eastern WA will observe moderate air quality over the next few days due to multiple fires in the region.

Critical Fire Weather Today

Extreme fire weather is expected this afternoon in Okanogan Valley; very strong winds (sustained winds 30-40 mph and gusts up to 50-60 mph) are forecasted for the area. The strong winds in addition to the hot and dry conditions will contribute to critical fire weather in the Okanogan Valley as well as the Columbian Basin. A Red Flag Warning has been issued for most of Eastern WA through Wednesday.

These strong north winds will transport Canadian smoke south into the Okanogan Valley. Any new fire starts will spread quickly and existing fires (including the Pomas Fire) will exhibit increased growth. 

Fire weather concerns will ease Thursday with the return of westerly winds that will also help scour out any areas of poor air quality.  

Western WA Smoke Impacts Tomorrow

Tomorrow winds from the northeast will push Canadian smoke into northwestern Washington (primarily eastern Whatcom, Skagit, and northern Snohomish counties). Most of the smoke will likely stay above us in the atmosphere but a fraction may mix down to the surface tomorrow afternoon leading to moderate air quality at worst. Haze may be noticeable across western Washington before westerly winds return on Thursday.