As predicted, the smoke rolled into the state and the Valley right on cue and there are a couple of things residents should know and remember.
Due to air quality concerns, Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area in North Bend is closed through Sunday, September 13. Rattlesnake Ledge (Hiking) Trail remains closed until further notice. They continue to assess this situation and look forward to reopening the areas when they can do so safely for the public and staff.
All Seattle parks, boat ramps, athletic fields, public golf courses & beaches are closed through the end of Sunday, 9/13, due to unhealthy air quality from wildfire smoke. Normal reopening times on Monday morning are expected unless air quality takes a turn for the worse.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is warning that significant wildfire smoke from Oregon is expected to begin infiltrating the Puget Sound region on Friday, September 11th, which means much of the area could reach ’unhealthy for sensitive groups’ or ’unhealthy’ levels.
The poor air quality is forecast throughout the weekend. The air quality alert issued by the National Weather Service expires Monday, September 14
King County’s Stage 2 Burn Ban was also extended through the weekend. It strictly bans outdoor recreational fires (like fire pits and campfires) in order to avoid situations where sparks can occur. Those tiny sparks, combined with dry landscape and timber, can quickly start a fire.
Residents can check North Bend air quality on the Department of Ecology’s North Bend monitoring page HERE.
Ryan Porter of Snoqualmie Weather says “The smoke will likely ebb and flow between bad and worse this weekend. Early indications are that air quality should improve substantially beginning Monday as a more significant onshore flow and jet stream develops next week. The PNW really needs some rain, but models that had called for precipitation in Seattle and Portland Monday or Tuesday have trended drier in recent runs.”
626, 982 acres have burned since Monday. Stay safe!
