It's wildfire season — know how to protect your health and the environment

Remember last summer when it seemed like the air would never clear up? This summer, be prepared if smoke from wildfires affects your community. Wildfire smoke is made up of gases and particulate matter that can be dangerous when inhaled. Carbon monoxide is risky to people who live and work near smoldering areas. 

Recent warm and dry weather melted last winter's snowpack faster than normal. Even though we had a healthy amount of snow, rapid melting means there is less water to supply our rivers and streams. Below normal streamflows are expected this summer and wildfire risk is high.

Burn bans

Where you live determines who calls burn bans. When wildfire danger is high, the Department of Natural Resources will declare a fire-safety burn ban on state lands. Local fire districts will restrict burning in city limits and unincorporated areas, while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will call burn bans on tribal lands.

If you see someone burning illegally, or if you are being impacted by smoke, report it!

Be “air aware” and have an emergency plan

Check the Washington Air Quality Advisory (WAQA) and Washington Smoke Information web pages to stay informed about air quality and smoke events. The WAQA uses color-coded categories to show when air quality is good, moderate, or unhealthy. In the event your community is affected by a wildfire, have an emergency plan ready, watch for alerts, and follow evacuation orders.

 

How to tell if smoke is affecting you

Even if you are healthy smoke can affect you by causing:

• Watery or dry eyes.
• Lung and sinus irritation.
• Coughing, phlegm.
• Shortness of breath and wheezing.
• Headaches.
• Irregular heartbeat, chest pain, or fatigue.
• Nonfatal and fatal heart attacks.

 

Some people are more sensitive to smoke

Symptoms may be worse for people with pre-existing health conditions. If you are in one of the groups below seek medical attention if your condition worsens.

• People with lung diseases and respiratory infections.
• People with existing heart or circulatory problems.
• People with a prior history of heart attack or stroke.
• People with diabetes.
• Infants and children under 18.
• Adults over age 65.
• Pregnant women.
• People who smoke.

 

Protect yourself and your animals from smoke

If you are indoors:

• Don’t smoke cigarettes, use candles, wood stoves, or vacuums, and don’t burn incense.
• Keep windows and doors closed. Blow a fan directly on you to keep cool.
• Use a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce indoor air pollution.
• Set your air conditioner to recirculate.

If you are outdoors:

• If you are in a sensitive group, reconsider any outdoor activities.
• If you must be outdoors, use an N95 respirator mask. These masks filter 95 percent of smoke particles, but they do not protect from toxic gases. Wet towels and bandanas do not provide protection from particulate matter. Respirator masks can’t protect if they don’t fit, so children and men with beards may not benefit from a mask. If you are in a sensitive group, check with your doctor before using a mask.
• Protect your eyes by wearing goggles.
• Don’t mow your yard, fill up your gas tank, or do any strenuous activity until the air is clear.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Keep car windows rolled up and set your AC to recirculate.
• When possible, leave the area.
  

If you raise animals:

• Reduce their time spent in smoky areas.
• Provide them with plenty of water.
• Limit activities that will increase their breathing.
• If your pet or livestock is coughing or having difficulty breathing, contact your veterinarian.

 

Get relief from symptoms

If you are in one of the sensitive groups, contact your health care provider if your symptoms worsen. Most healthy people can get relief by:

• Using artificial tear drops for itchy eyes.
• Drinking plenty of water and running a humidifier for a scratchy throat.
• Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever for headaches. 

What you can do

There are many ways you can help prevent wildfires. Seventy-five percent of wildfires are caused by humans.

• Put campfires out completely.
• Follow burn bans. 
• Don't burn yard waste on windy days.
• Don't throw cigarette butts out your window. 
• Keep the perimeter around your property clear.

By Kim Vaughn / Air Quality Communications

La Niña winter final roundup

Late winter precipitation boosts water supply for summer

Continued cold, snowy weather during late winter brought the good news we needed for this summer’s water supply. As we transition to more spring-like weather, Washington’s snowpack levels are near or above normal for this time of year.

Statewide snowpack

Across the state, the snow supply average is 119 percent of normal. That number is a big WOW for farmers, fish managers, and water users in cities and towns, as they breathe a sigh of relief.

Earlier water supply forecasts contemplated lean snow levels in the Walla Walla Basin, but heavy March snow improved the basin-wide snowpack to 111percent of normal. The lower Snake River snowpack is particularly flush at 124 percent of normal.

The lower Columbia region — consisting of the Cowlitz, Lewis, and Washougal watersheds — recovered to 108 percent of normal from 88 percent in late February. The upper and lower Yakima River Basin are at 101 and 103 percent of normal, respectively. The Olympic Mountains (119 percent of normal), north Puget Sound (124 percent of normal), upper Columbia basins (143 percent of normal) all have healthy snowpack.

As we begin both early spring and irrigation season, there is ample mountain snowpack and cool temperatures forecasted by the Climate Prediction Center for the immediate future.

One area of minor concern that the snowpack is nearing saturation point, and heavy precipitation may initiate faster melt off.

Although some spots were dry March 11-April 9, the Cascades and north central WA received ample precip

Precipitation

Precipitation at mountain SNOTEL sites since the beginning of the water year is 112 percent of normal. Puget Sound headwaters stations range from 105 percent of normal at Stampede Pass, to 140 percent of normal at Huckleberry Creek. Both the upper and lower Yakima basins are at 108 percent of normal for precipitation.

Statewide precipitation over the previous 30 days is slightly below normal in Western Washington, and average in Eastern Washington. The last seven days, however, have been near or above average for the state (including non-mountain areas).

The precipitation outlook for the near term is for above normal precipitation through spring.

The U.S. Drought Monitor indicates there is no data suggesting drought for portions of Yakima and Klickitat counties in south central Washington. Most states to the south of Washington are experiencing some drought, ranging from Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought in Oklahoma.

Temperature

Temperatures in Washington have been near-normal statewide, averaged over the previous 30 days. The Climate Prediction Center forecasts below normal temperatures for both the next two weeks and normal temperatures for the remainder of spring. Cooler temperatures aide the water supply outlook by regulating the rate snow melts and discharges into rivers. 

Yakima County was the only real hotspot for temps March 11 to April 9

Streamflows

Looking ahead to this summer, both the Natural Resources Conservation Service and National Weather Service are forecasting that we are likely to have normal to above-normal water supplies this year.

For water supply purposes, the April to September runoff period is critical because this is when water demand is highest, but precipitation is lowest, hence our scrutiny of snowpack and reservoir levels.

This year, forecasted runoff for this period is above 100 percent of normal in all but one or two locations. In fact, some locations in the Upper Columbia River Basin (e.g., Kettle, Okanogan, Methow Rivers) have forecasted runoff in excess of 125 percent of normal, which may portend flooding.

We’ll continue to keep tabs on streamflows through the spring and summer.

Irrigation and storage reservoirs

In the Yakima River Basin, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation operates five reservoirs to store water for agriculture irrigation and fishery purposes. At this point, total system storage (all five reservoirs considered together) is 119 percent of average or about 818,000 acre feet. Total storage capacity is a little over one million acre feet. Reclamation forecasts that they will be able to meet 100 percent of water supply to users of project water this year. The bureau will update its forecast in early May

On the west side, the City of Seattle stores water on the Cedar and South Fork Tolt rivers. Snowpack is continuing to build and is above the long-term median for this time of the year. Snowpack in Seattle’s mountain watersheds typically reach peak accumulations around the first week of April. Storage is also above long term median conditions.


Beginning-of-month storage conditions for other reservoirs in Washington state are available at the NRCS interactive mapping tool. 

• Read more about statewide conditions. 
• Related blogs:
  La Niña winter update
Is this a typical La Nina year?