Spots of rain will keep temperatures in the mid-to-high 80s across the state for the next week, slightly dampening the still-high chances for wildfires, state officials said during a media briefing Tuesday on wildfire season.
During a session hosted by the state Department of Natural Resources, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz mentioned the Newell Road fire burning near Bickleton in Klickitat County. She said windy conditions helped fuel the fire's growth.
"This has resulted in the Newell Road fire in Klickitat County consuming over 56,000 acres of timber, grass and brush over the weekend," Franz said. "That large hot, dry landscape fueled by those winds and the grass, it created some really challenging conditions for fighting those fires."
The fire, was listed at 56,000 acres on Tuesday, or about 87 square miles, accounts for more than two-thirds of the 80,000 acres of land that have burned in the state this year. The Newell Road fire is also nearly twice the size of the 30,000-acre Vantage Highway fire, the largest in the state in 2022.
The Newell Road fire started Friday and the cause is under investigation. Structures have burned, but an exact damage assessment hasn't been issued. It is 20% contained.
Franz said firefighters have been working to prevent further structure damage in the area. This includes building containment lines around the 1,800-acre Lund Hill Solar Project which sits in the center of the fire.
Matthew Dehr, lead meteorologist at the DNR, said though temperatures will cool down, Eastern Washington got very little of Monday night's rain. He said potential fuel for wildfires remains dry and chances for wildfires remain high.
Dehr said the number of wildfires caused by lightning strikes has been low for the season but that could change when lightning strikes peak in mid-August.
Evacuation orders remain in effect for areas near the Newell Road fire. For more details, visit the Klickitat County Emergency Management Facebook page.
