[8] The fire was the third in recent years to affect the area surrounding the Hanford Reach National Monument and the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve, but was contained during the earlier days of August through the use of controlled burns.
[10] In August, the area surrounding Spokane, the state's second largest city, was threatened with three active wildfires.
[13][14] A series of lightning strike fires in the Olympic Mountains were visible from the Seattle area and lowered air quality to "moderate" levels as rated by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
[16] Inslee blamed ongoing climate change for creating "explosive conditions" in the state's forests and wild lands, fueling stronger wildfires in recent years.
[17] Another pair of lightning strike fires in the Glacier Peak Wilderness created hazy conditions over Wenatchee to the east.