YAKIMA – No beating around the sagebrush: It’s hot.
Record temperatures are forecast across Washington this week, forcing some communities to open emergency shelters and sending residents scurrying for air conditioning to escape the stifling heat.
In Eastern Washington, firefighters already battling a handful of blazes are bracing for continued brisk winds and thunderstorms that could spark even more fires.
“With the very dry fuels, even if some storms have rain in them, they still could start fires,” said Jeremy Wolf, National Weather Service meteorologist in Spokane.
The agency has issued a heat advisory beginning today for south-central Washington, including the Yakima Valley and lower Columbia River Basin and the foothills of the Blue Mountains. Temperatures ranging from 102 to 107 degrees are forecast across the region for Thursday and Friday, continuing into the weekend in some areas.
Even residents west of the Cascades are sweltering this week. The forecast for Seattle today: 97 degrees, two degrees higher than the July 11 record high set in 1951.
At least six King County cities – Auburn, Bellevue, Des Moines, Issaquah, Renton and Tukwila – opened emergency shelters for residents to escape the heat.
“I’ve got a group of people here. They’re cool, they’re having a good time, and I would foresee we’ll see more people here this afternoon and tomorrow when it gets even hotter,” said Cindy Whitman, program assistant at the Auburn Senior Activity Center.
Meanwhile, firefighters east of the Cascades worked to shore up lines around fires, worried about the prospect of higher temperatures, low humidity and brisk winds. Thunderstorms are forecast for Thursday and Friday.
The Easy Street fire, which has burned through grass, farm fields and brush in north-central Washington since being started by fireworks Saturday, was more than 95 percent contained late Tuesday. The fire has scorched 8 square miles, or 5,209 acres, about 3 miles northwest of Wenatchee.
The Palisades fire was estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 acres late Tuesday. The fire was estimated at 75 percent contained.
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