Wildfire smoke floods Snohomish County, Puget Sound region

EVERETT — Air quality in Snohomish County was expected to stay in unhealthy ranges into early next week, triggering concerns for vulnerable populations as wildfire smoke hovered above Western Washington.

An air quality alert from the National Weather Service was in place until noon Monday for the county. Sensitive groups were encouraged to reduce their exposure by staying indoors, keeping their windows closed and using air purifiers.

Air quality steadily diminished Sunday, with Everett’s Air Quality Index reaching an unhealthy level of 150 as of 3 p.m. , according to fire.airnow.gov. Snohomish and Lake Stevens also reached 150.

But it was Darrington that bore the brunt of the wildfire smoke, with an AQI over 200.

Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the Forest Service responded to a fire near Suiattle River Road, about 11 miles east of Darrington. The Huckleberry Flats Fire grew to 100 acres overnight, according to Amy Linn, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson.

The Forest Service believed the fire near the Huckleberry Mountain trailhead was man-made. Additional resources en route to help crews quell the flames included four engines, two helicopters, and a water tender.

“The goal is to put this fire out and leave it as small as possible,” Linn said.

The latest fire near Darrington is in addition to the Dome Peak Fire, which has raged since Thursday and expanded over the weekend due to dry and unstable weather.

The Dome Peak Fire broke out in remote, mountainous terrain within the Glacier Peak Wilderness, making it difficult for firefighters to access. Crews were using cameras and periodic reconnaissance flights to monitor the flames.

Darrington’s terrain trapped the smoke from the nearby Huckleberry Flats Fire, contributing to existing air quality issues in the area, according to Darrington Fire Chief Joel Johnson.

“The main thing is stay indoors,” Johnson said. “If you have places to go to leave the immediate area to get relief, that could be good too.”

Air quality levels were predicted to improve Monday and Tuesday, as westerly winds begin to provide smoke relief west of the Cascades, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“It’s not an instantaneous process,” said meteorologist Dustin Guy. “It’ll take some time to scatter that smoke out.”

Guy said Washington has been in fire season for awhile, and it’s hard to predict what air quality conditions will be in the foreseeable future. But with lingering fires raging around the region, the smoke could be here to stay.

Over the past week, wind patterns kept smoke to the east, as wildfires in the Cascades and southern British Columbia continued to burn. But as winds shifted easterly on Saturday, smoke funneled into the Puget Sound region.

Several wildfires in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest were contributing to the smoke, including the 1,500-acre Airplane Lake fire and the 802-acre Dome Peak Fire. The Airplane Lake Fire was burning northwest of Lake Wenatchee, and has grown 600 acres in three days.

About 20 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from Suiattle Pass to High Bridge closed this week due to the Dome Peak Fire. The Airplane Lake Fire, southeast of Glacier Peak, hadn’t affected the 2,650-mile trail as of Saturday.

Many northbound PCT thru-hikers arrive in Washington in the late summer, for a final push to the U.S.-Canadian border.

Burn bans were in effect throughout the lowlands due to extreme wildfire danger — though cooking stoves, barbecues and recreational fire pits were allowed as long as they were fueled by propane or gas.

Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @EDHJonTall.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine reports on the environment and climate change for The Daily Herald. Her journalism is supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund. Learn more and donate: heraldnet.com/climate-fund.