WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – With so-called June-uary now in the rearview mirror, July has let us know summer is really here. Traditionally a month of dry weather and higher temperatures, July is also peak season for wildfires.
Wildfires can not only put buildings and infrastructure at risk, wildfire smoke can cause unhealthy air quality.
This week the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a “Red Flag Warning” for Whatcom County and several others. According to NWS meteorologist Reid Wolcott, that term comes from a time when “fire departments [would] literally raise a red flag to alert the public to dangerous fire conditions.”
Following June rains that stimulated grass and brush to grow, more recent heat and lack of rain have dried out those grasses, brush and trees. And all that material becomes fuel for wildfires. Either campfires or lightening could ignite a fire that spreads quickly. Especially if there is wind.
Wolcott says those critical fire weather conditions have aligned: high temperatures, dry conditions, plenty of fuel, and potential wind, thunder and lightning. That led to the Red Flag Warning July 15.
“These weather conditions can promote either the ignition of new fires or the rapid spread of existing fires.”
While we cannot control the weather, we can control whether we contribute to the likelihood of wildfire.
This week, the Whatcom County Fire Marshall declared a Stage 2 Burn Ban. That means all open burning is prohibited, as of 8 a.m. Friday, July 17. The ban includes outdoor burning of yard debris, land-clearing fires and recreational camp fires. For more information, phone (360) 778-5900.
Amy Cloud is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management. She was born and raised locally, leaving for Whitman College and work in Seattle, Knoxville and Washington, D.C. She returned to work as Supervising News Producer and reporter for KVOS-TV’s NewsView before switching to communications for WWU, PeaceHealth and the City of Bellingham. She also co-chairs the Community PIO Group and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues.
