Here’s when Whatcom County could see smoky skies in coming days
Whatcom County may see hazy skies in the coming days, as an offshore wind flow pushes smoke west over the Cascades. The potential smoke is coupled with high temperatures and dangerous fire conditions in certain areas.
The worst of the smoke is expected to sweep through the county early Thursday and Friday morning, Aug. 12-13, according to NOAA’s vertically integrated smoke map. The Cascades area can expect moderate air quality Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 15, with the potential to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups at high elevations, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The agency recommends that both sensitive groups and healthy adults consider taking it easy while running or cycling outside during this time.
By Sunday, however, strong westerly winds are predicted to clear out the region’s air, wrote Graeme Carvlin, an air resource specialist at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, in a Tuesday morning, Aug. 10, post on the Washington Smoke Information website.
Whatcom County fire departments have been receiving a number of reports for smoke investigations so far Thursday, North Whatcom County Fire and Rescue Chief Jason Vander Veen told The Bellingham Herald.
As of just past 10:30 a.m., PulsePoint app lists a dozen smoke investigation incidents on Thursday.
“I don’t know of people were surprised that the smoke showed up or what,” Vander Veen said. “It’s hot out there and there is an inversion. ... The smoke is going to be around for the next couple of days and people need to stay inside. Crews countywide are getting a lot of calls about the smoke.”
A fire weather watch has been issued for Thursday morning through evening along the North Cascades’ western slopes sitting above 1,500 feet in elevation. The watch was instated due to hot, dry circumstances that increase the risk of critical fire conditions, according to Whatcom County’s Wednesday emergency management daily briefing.
The projected smoke and fire risk comes on top of another heatwave. An excessive heat warning has been issued in western Whatcom County from Wednesday afternoon, through Saturday evening, with the National Weather Service warning that the risk of heat-related illness will increase significantly, especially for individuals working or playing outside.
High temperatures in Bellingham are forecast to hover in the 80s and low 90s through Saturday, Aug. 14, peaking on Thursday, Aug. 12, with a high near 92 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Nighttime low temperatures in Bellingham will bottom out in the low- to mid-60s, allowing living spaces without air conditioning to cool below dangerous temperatures at night.
The excessive heat warning recommends that community members “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.”
Lighthouse Mission Ministries, responding to the heat forecast, said in a news release Wednesday that it has space and staff at its Base Camp, 1530 Cornwall Ave., to shelter up to 200 people experiencing homelessness.
“Lighthouse Mission is ready to welcome people who need to escape the heat and is glad to provide air-conditioned shelter and relief at Base Camp,” said Hans Erchinger-Davis, executive director. “For unsheltered neighbors, being in the heat and sun all day long can have devastating effects, especially since they are already particularly vulnerable to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunburn. We saw this first-hand when temperatures reached extreme levels in June.”
The mission’s outreach team will hand out cold water and sunscreen and “inviting people they encounter to come to Base Camp, where it is air-conditioned with an HVAC system with ion air purifiers that clean the air from viruses and other particles,” according to Erchinger-Davis.
This story was originally published August 11, 2021 at 10:39 AM.
