An Air Quality Alert issued on July 9 remains in effect across Chelan County and the Methow Valley due to smoke from the Pioneer Fire. Meanwhile, a Red Flag Warning is still in place across the Kittitas Valley until 8pm today due to strong winds and low relative humidity in that area.

Onshore westerly flow has improved air quality across most of the state today and lowered temperatures from the peak of the heat wave. But the Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan is likely to maintain periods of active fire behavior each afternoon-evening through the weekend due to dry and breezy weather with still above normal temperatures. Winds out of the west and northwest will generally transport smoke eastward and southeastward with continued air quality impacts possible across communities like Chelan, Methow, and Brewster where the air quality alert remains in place. You can find smoke outlooks related to the Pioneer Fire updated on a daily basis at this link.There are also fires burning further south in Oregon and California. Smoke from these fires should remain away from Washington through the weekend but will need to be watched long-term for potential to creep northwards into the state. If no new large fires emerge this weekend, the bottom line is that continued air quality impacts are possible near the Pioneer Fire but most other areas of the state should maintain good-moderate air quality.

Hot and dry conditions have significantly increased fire danger across the state. On July 10, the Department of Natural Resources implemented a burn ban across all forest lands in Washington that are under DNR fire protection status. The order bans all outdoor burning, including campfires, through September 30. See this map for current fire danger and burn ban status.