Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and Wildland Fire Meteorologist Matthew Dehr provided media on Tuesday afternoon with the latest information regarding active wildfires in Washington and provided an outlook on upcoming fire conditions.

 

The Newell Road Fire east of Goldendale in Klickitat County has burned more than 56,000 acres of timber, grass, and brush as of Tuesday afternoon. It accounts for more than half of the Washington acreage burned so far this year.

 

With drought conditions expected to worsen over the coming weeks, and extended forecast models showing the potential for a heat wave in early August, Franz and Dehr remarked that while current numbers may seem low, Washington is far from out of the woods when it comes to fire season.

 

“Conditions in our state over the last week have been some of the worst we’ve experienced this year,” Commissioner Franz said. “We saw how quickly the Newell Road Fire surged across more than 80 square miles in Klickitat County, and we’ve yet to reach the peak of fire season here in Washington. I am urging people to please do their part and support our heroic firefighters by being one less spark out on the landscape.”

 

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Communications Manager

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