Wildfires

159 Stories

KUOW Newsroom

Breathing the world’s worst air

Western Washington currently has some of the world’s dirtiest air due to smoke from wildfires in the Cascade Mountains. Fires have been burning for weeks, but people living close to the fire line say these past few days have been the worst conditions so far this year.
By
Casey Martin

Oct 20, 2022 at 10:19 am
KUOW Blog

Photos: Seattle ranked worst city in the world for air quality

Seattle ranked as the worst city in the world for air quality on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, as smoke from wildfires continued to engulf the region.
By
Megan Farmer

Oct 20, 2022 at 9:27 am
KUOW Newsroom

Will blankets of wildfire smoke be our new seasonal normal?

A former hotshot explains why necessary strategies for fighting wildfires on the west side of the Cascades result in so much smoke
By
Kim Malcolm

John O'Brien

Oct 19, 2022 at 6:35 pm
KUOW Newsroom

Why haven't firefighters 'put out' the Bolt Creek fire?

More than a month has passed since the Bolt Creek fire started burning near Skykomish. Some residents are asking firefighters: Why haven't they put it out?
By
Paige Browning

Oct 19, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Seattle Now

WTF is happening to Seattle fall?

Seattle shattered weather records again over the weekend with a high of 88 on Sunday. But even if you enjoy the sun, it’s hard to have fun when the air is full of wildfire smoke and ash. There are now three major wildfires burning on the West side of the Cascades, and they'll likely be with us until the rain returns. The Seattle Weather Blog's Justin Shaw is here to help us wrap our heads around this dramatic combination of smoke and weather.
By
Patricia Murphy

Clare McGrane

Oct 18, 2022 at 5:04 am
Soundside

Not just an Eastern WA issue; King County prepares for wildfires

For a long time, people on the west side of the Cascades assumed that wildland fires were an issue for those in Eastern Washington. But as conditions become drier and hotter across the western U.S., the wildfire threat is growing in all parts of the state, even the normally soggy parts.
By
Libby Denkmann

Hans Anderson

Oct 12, 2022 at 5:57 pm
Soundside

How long will smoky skies linger above Puget Sound?

The smell of the air around the Puget Sound today is... not pleasant. Some KUOW employees described it as "like a smoked ham" or "similar to a car backfiring". So, how long will we be living with this burnt ham, car backfiring, badly-made bonfire smoke? And what is breathing it in doing to our bodies?
By
Libby Denkmann

Sarah Leibovitz

Sep 21, 2022 at 1:30 pm
Western WA is covered by smoke again. But for how long?

There’s smoke in the air again this week, thanks to winds from the east that are bringing smoke from the Bolt Creek fire into the Puget Sound region. And an inversion is trapping that smoke close to the ground. Still, the air quality is not hazardous for most people.
By
Eilis O'Neill

Sep 20, 2022 at 3:32 pm
KUOW Newsroom

Bolt Creek Fire has burned up to 8,000 acres, and many aren't evacuating

KUOW environment reporter John Ryan talks with Kim Malcolm about the Bolt Creek Fire.
By
Kim Malcolm

John Ryan

Sep 12, 2022 at 5:59 pm
Soundside

Steep terrain, high winds, and dry conditions make Bolt Creek Fire difficult to contain

The Bolt Creek Fire started early Saturday morning north of Skykomish. Tesidents who fled the path of the fire describe ash falling from the sky. Smoke blotting out the sun. Highway 2 is still closed between Gold Bar and Skykomish and an evacuation notice remains in place for Index.
By
Libby Denkmann

Sarah Leibovitz

Hans Anderson

Sep 12, 2022 at 3:38 pm