Fire dangers remain high across region

Hot smoky weather will hang over the Inland Northwest today before another storm system moves across the region, bringing a risk of more thunderstorms.

The combination of heat and breezy winds is keeping fire danger exceptionally high.

An air quality alert because of wildfire smoke is in effect until Friday for Spokane and Whitman counties and other areas to the south and west.

Anyone venturing into the outdoors is asked to be very careful and refrain from activities that could strike a spark such as operating equipment or target shooting.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources said in a news release Wednesday that battling the fires has gotten more difficult as the number of blazes has grown and Pacific Northwest firefighting resources have been spread over a wider area.

“A very large number of wildfires in Washington are being started by people,” said Mary Verner, DNR’s deputy for wildfire. “Because conditions are so bad, common activities like operating farm equipment or target shooting can spark fires that turn into major destructive events. We need everyone to take the utmost care around any activity that might start a wildfire.”

A “red-flag warning” for high fire danger remains in effect through this evening with highs today in the upper 90s to triple-digits, low relative humidity and light winds over the region.

A cold front due to arrive on Friday raises the possibility of new rounds of thunderstorms, some of which may be severe. Spokane has a 40 percent chance of those kind of storms Friday.

Chances of severe thunderstorms are as high as 50 percent in Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint and 60 percent in the mountains. Also, the risk of thunderstorms will start as early as Thursday night and continue through Saturday with the highest chances in the mountains.

Temperatures will drop to the upper 80s on Friday in Spokane, then to the upper 70s on Saturday before rebounding to the 80s on Sunday.

Weather conditions should settle down for Saturday and Sunday. However, cooler marine air from the west could drive daytime breezes across the Cascades and into the Columbia Basin following Friday’s cold front.