Potentially dangerous drought conditions are expected this summer across most of Washington.
The state’s Department of Ecology has made an emergency drought declaration.
This comes as we have seen drier and warmer conditions this year, which has lead to a lower snowpack.
The entire state is under the drought emergency with the exception of the Everett, Seattle and Tacoma metro areas, for now. Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue Firefighters say having drought this early is concerning. The department dealt with the devastating Bolt Creek Wildfire in 2022.
“I’m pretty shocked to see it happen this early in the year,” Public Information Officer Peter Mongillo said. Firefighter Ray Sayah said, “In Western Washington, we’ve been accustomed to a wet, dry climate. Wildland fires have been an afterthought. But more recently, in Western Washington, it’s become a concern that we’ve had.”