Seattle NWS put out Spokane's AFD today 000 FXUS66 KOTX 032110 AFDOTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA Issued by National Weather Service Seattle WA 210 PM PDT Mon Aug 3 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Extensive amounts of smoke will continue over the region this week, maintaining unhealthy air quality. - Temperatures steadily warm through the through the week ahead, with temperatures warming above normal by the middle of the week. - Dry conditions and breezy winds increase Friday and Saturday across portions of central Washington, bringing elevated fire weather conditions. && .SYNOPSIS... High pressure continues across the region this week, bringing steadily warmer and drier conditions each day. Wildfire smoke will bring degraded air quality for the Inland Northwest. Breezy winds increase late in the week, leading to increased fire weather conditions Friday and Saturday && .DISCUSSION... Widespread smoke remains across the region this afternoon, with a dry northwest flow pattern emerging behind the departed upper trough. High pressure then continues to build over the area through midweek. This will maintain warmer daytime temperatures and low relative humidity values each day. With winds generally from the north/northwest, expect additional rounds of smoke to impact the region from local and regional fires. Once the smoke arrives, easing winds and stronger high pressure will leave lingering issues. Air Quality Alerts have been issued by air quality agencies across central and eastern Washington, as well as north Idaho. While the current temperature forecast continues to reflect temperatures reaching well into the 90s Wednesday through Friday, the impact of the widespread smoke across the region could hold daytime temperatures a little cooler than would otherwise be expected. Looking ahead to the end of the week and into the weekend, dry air remains in place but the high pressure ridge begins to flatten out. This zonal flow and the dry air mass will bring increased potential for wind gusts around 30 mph through the Cascade gaps and around 20 mph across portions of eastern Washington Friday and Saturday. This will bring the potential for elevated to locally critical fire weather conditions. &&

It's not real to people. Unless their home is impact it's just an abstract. I know I used to be guilty of that to an extent, at some point during the fires in 2020 I remember having the conscious thought of "Oh, this is what all those people impacted by the fires I've tracked over the years went through." It's a humbling realization.

Least it's calm there for a bit haha

It wouldn't be the first fire that a RR started recently. I believe both the UP and BNSF have been fined in the past 4-5 years for starting fires along the ROW just here in the PNW. Sometimes they run water cars in fire prone areas to prevent it. Lots of deferred maintenance going on in the railroad industry in the last decade so I can totally see a few sparks from a locomotive with a bad turbo or bad brake shoes causing something to ignite.

Great day for a boating trip at Lake Wenatchee.