Way too many fires here in Washington...Authorities prepare for large Wash. fires to merge

WOW.. it's been really badd here in eastern Wa. for over 3 weeks now..

Some days i can't see across town and this is a pretty small town..

I have to work out in this smoke every day and i have been wearing my respirator just to breath..

YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — There's no relief in sight for firefighters battling several large wildfires in Washington state, and a lightning storm forecast to sweep through the region Saturday could ignite even more blazes and bring little to no rain.

For weeks, thousands of firefighters have been working to steer the fires away from scattered hillside homes and entire communities, awaiting the fall rains or mountain snow that typically end the wildfire season. The fires are burning on 143 square miles of parched forest, brush and grass.

Thick smoke has blanketed the immediate area of the fires and beyond, forcing one school district to cancel classes entirely. State health officials sent more than 20,000 respirator masks to the region in anticipation of possible shortages.

and it is not getting any better, today was awful..

my poor daughter has asthma and she is sick over all this smoke..

and Saturday looks like it could get worse....damn..

But Saturday's storm could bring lightning to western Washington and up and down the Cascade Range, with the hardest hit area likely to be the central region, he said.

The storm is likely to bring very little precipitation, he said. Significant rainfall or snow that might douse the fires is not expected any time soon.

news.yahoo.com...

Hrm, sounds like she needs a good face mask. If it was mold, I'd say, get a humidifier and put some tea tree oil/alcohol/green soap in the water.

BUT: if there's a lot of smoke and fire in the air, the air may be too dry, so the humidifier might be a good idea anyway.

reply to post by baddmove
I feel so bad for you all. I'm in southern Colorado and it's been a smokey summer for us too. In fact right now our southern mountains are covered in a thick smokey haze from the Washington fires.

Anything short of a heavy snowfall/monsoon rain isn't going to do much good. Heavy rain on a burn scar at altitude can be a disaster...mud/rock slides/flash floods. For us storm fronts don't always bring rain just lots of wind/lightning. Without the firefighters we'd be in a world of hurt.

I don't have any advice for the smoke. We just pretty much live with it. Some people sent their kids to stay with friends/family in smoke free areas. There's really nothing you can do aside from wearing a respirator 24/7.

So they're saying it was caused by lightning? That's what we assumed with waldo canyon but investigators now believe it was arson. Btw what altitude do you live at? Air is thinner up here in the high country when you add smoke to the mix I'm amazed we're breathing at all.

My thoughts are with you and all the brave firefighters.

reply to post by Morningglory


Thanks, it is really bad today..

on top of that, WSU is playing Colorado here in this crap..

I am staying indoors all weekend after working out in this stuff all week..

my lungs need a break, it's starting to make us all sick...

This one is at Table mountain..
usnews.nbcnews.com...



If you live here in Washington state, please add news as you can..thanks..