Wildfire update from Commissioner of Public Lands

Wildland firefighters responding to the Pomas Fire near Stehekin.

By Dave Upthegrove, Commissioner of Public Lands

August was a challenging but manageable time for wildfires here in Washington; thanks to a combination of favorable conditions, a little bit of luck, and – most of all – the hard work and dedication of our wildland firefighters.

As of right now, two larger fires continue to burn on our landscapes – the Bear Gulch Fire on the Olympic Peninsula and the Pomas Fire near Stehekin. 

Firefighters, including many of our DNR crews, continue to work diligently to contain these fires.

We’ve been able to manage fire season well so far, with around 72,000 acres burned statewide and 32,000 acres burned on DNR-managed lands. 

That’s the lowest total our agency has seen since 2017. With that said, we still have some wildfire season left. 

I want to urge all Washingtonians to continue to be smart, safe, and considerate in our forests and on our landscapes. After the heat wave we just experienced, there are a lot of dry fuels on our lands – so, please, don’t be the spark that sets off a catastrophe.

And, while we’ve had some success this year, we could be in for a huge challenge next year, if the cuts to our wildfire response and forest health programs passed earlier this year by the legislature aren’t restored. 

With the climate crisis fueling our wildfire crisis, now is not the time to cut funding to this critical work. 

We need to do everything we can to support them with the funding and resources necessary to protect our lands, forests, and communities from this ever-present threat.