CAMPING -- Be prepared for smoke and perhaps an aerial performance wherever you go camping or boating in the region this month during what's turning out to be a serious wildfire season.

The photo above from Pend Oreille County goes with this report from Steve Solberg:

On Saturday afternoon we saw a small plume of smoke rising from a mountain-top near Ione.

As the day progressed we witnessed some hot little fire planes scooping water out of the Pend Oreille River, slowly gaining altitude to drop on the growing fire.

The pilots were having to pick & choose where to dip because some boaters were totally unaware of what was happening.

Saturday night we could see the fire advancing and I heard it doubled in size in less than 24 hrs.

My son's first Bow-Sling Bullfrog harvest was overshadowed by the fire.

What a weekend!

Today the Washington Department of Natural Resources officially raised the fire danger level in northeastern Washington and other areas. Here's the announcement:

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today the following changes in the fire danger rating and industrial fire precaution levels (IFPL).

Effective 12:01 a.m. on August 5, 2015:

• Fire danger has increased from ‘very high’ to ‘extreme’ in Spokane and northern Lincoln counties, and Fire Districts 1 and 2 in Stevens County.
•        Fire danger has increased from ‘high’ to ‘very high’ in Pend Oreille County and Stevens County outside of Fire Districts 1 and 2.
•        Fire danger remains ‘very high’ Okanogan and Ferry counties

Effective 12:01 a.m. on August 5, 2015, the following IFPL changes will be implemented:

•        IFPL increases from a Level 2 to a Level 3 in Zones 685, 678W, 678E and 688.
•        IFPL remains a Level 3 in Zones 684, 686 and 687.

The IFPL system
Industrial Fire Precaution Levels apply to all industrial operations that could cause a fire on or adjacent to lands protected from fire by DNR (WAC 332-24-301); this applies to logging and other industrial operations.

The levels are established for each of 38 “shutdown zones” in the state on the basis of National Fire Danger Rating System data.

There are four IFPL levels:

• Level 1 (closed fire season):  fire equipment and a fire watch are required
• Level 2 (partial hoot owl):  limits certain activities to between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.; fire equipment and a fire watch are required
• Level 3 (partial shutdown):  prohibits some activities and limits others to between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.; fire equipment and a fire watch are required
• Level 4 (general shutdown):  prohibits all activities

Daily updates on burn restrictions are available at 1-800-323-BURN or on the Fire Danger and Outdoor Burning risk map at: http://bit.ly/burnrisk

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