Burn bans lifted as wildfire smoke levels decrease

With winds shifting to take smoke from British Columbia wildfires east, the Puget Sound Air Quality agency said it is lifting its burn ban in King, Kitsap, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, effective at 2 p.m. Aug. 11.

“Smoke levels have reduced to moderate or good in most areas now,” the agency said. “Winds have reversed, and we expect the British Columbia wildfire smoke to blow east again for the next couple weeks. That means we return to our more typical summertime good air quality.”

The BC wildfires aren’t expected to stop until the fall rains come, so another high pressure ridge could return the smoke, the agency said. However, the two-week outlook continues to keep smoke away from Puget Sound.

Visit www.pscleanair.org/burnban to learn more.

  1. I’m glad the smoke is on the way out, but we ought to remember all the people in BC who lost their homes. Near my former summer cabin near Princeton, one whole valley, including good friends were under mandatory evacuation for a week; I went up to visit once the order was lifted, and could see burnt fields and forest half a mile away, and the fire came within about 5 miles of my place. Smoke is bad, but there has been a lot of suffering where it was coming from.

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