Local Website Gives Real-Time Wildfire Conditions for Washington State
As summer heats up, this website can help you monitor wildfire conditions in your neck of the woods
By Lena Beck June 25, 2019
This article originally appeared in the July 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the July 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Wildfire season in rural areas has come to mean smoke season in the city. Developed by a number of government agencies and Native American tribes, the Washington Smoke blog features an interactive state map to keep you informed of smoke conditions in real time. Using information from live webcams set up across the state, color-coded dots (ranging from green for good conditions to maroon for hazardous) and flame symbols indicate active wildfires at that moment, along with air quality in surrounding areas. In addition to the monitoring map, the blog—which has a Spanish translation option—also includes links to local emergency resources, and information on topics such as when to use a face mask and how to protect your health from outdoor smoke.
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