SEATTLE — As communities around the Puget Sound go through their fourth straight day of high heat, the threat of wildfires remains high.
Once-green landscapes are now shades of brown as grass and shrubs continue to die of thirst. And now, dry conditions have led to a string of fires in the past week, building off an already busy July.
“It does feel like we were called out more this year than we were last year,” said Puget Sound Fire spokesperson Pat Pawlak.
That feeling is also backed up by the numbers. Both Puget Sound Fire Authority and Seattle Fire have seen an alarming spike in incidents. Puget Sound Fire compared the numbers between July 1 and Aug. 15, where fires they responded to increased by 85% over that same period last year.
“Which is pretty significant,” said Pawlak. “I believe in 2022 we were at about 160 and in 2023 we were at 299, so a very significant increase.”
Puget Sound Fire absorbed the Tukwila Fire Department in 2023. Including calls to fight fires in Tukwila, the Puget Sound Fire Authority has seen 352 brush fires this year.
It’s a similar story in Seattle as well.
“Since Memorial Day, our firefighters have responded to more than 450 brush fires and bark fires throughout the city of Seattle,” Seattle Fire spokesperson David Cuerpo said. “That is currently more than double the previous summer.”
About 300 of those Seattle brush fires sparked up in July alone. That trend has continued in August too. Between Aug. 10 and Aug. 16, Seattle Fire was called to 10 fire incidents, six of which occurred in just the last two days.
“Especially along major roadways, where cars driving by can generate their own wind,” said Cuerpo. “An ember from one small grass fire can travel more than 50 feet onto the other side of the road causing another brush fire.”
“In fact, we’ve responded to many just like that,” he added.
Both fire departments point to the extremely dry conditions as the reason for the spike in calls. That was what helped fuel an explosive fire at a Seattle homeless encampment earlier this week, where a man knocked over a candle while cleaning his tent.
“Encampments often have propane tanks for cooking or for heating,” Cuerpo said. “They also have other debris as well, and those things with a flame can easily cause a propane tank to explode, expanding the fire itself.”
The heat won’t last much longer with a cooldown expected in the next few days, but the fire threat is here to stay according to officials. Meanwhile, the State Department of Natural Resources has placed the entire South Sound under an extreme danger for wildfires.
“It’s just going to prolong it,” Pawlak said. “It’s still dry during the day -- the humidity drops and typically that when you see a lot of these brush fires get worse.”
At this point, Pawlak said, even a day of downpours wouldn’t reduce the risk.
“People sometimes feel, ‘hey the danger’s over with,’” he said. “The danger’s not over with -- it actually makes it worse because it will let some of those fine fuels grow a little bit more and add a little bit more fuel as it dries back out.”
There is currently a Stage 2 burn ban throughout King County, covering all recreational outdoor fires. That means absolutely no bonfires, or fire pits in parks or backyards.
Grilling is allowed but officials ask that people grill carefully. They also recommend keeping lawns short and any shrubs near homes hydrated, and to keep garbage and composts at least 10 feet from buildings.