Kirkland and Seattle air quality: Wildfires cause dip, pictures show haze
Skies are hazy due to local and regional wildfires, the Fox 13 meteorologist shared.
The cities of Kirkland and Seattle in Washington are seeing a dip in air quality. This is due to the local and regional wildfires.
“Hazy skies from local and regional wildfires around the PNW today. Moderate air quality current for Seattle, but worse the further east you go,” the meteorologist with Fox 13 said on X.
Seattle and Kirkland air quality
Seattle has ‘moderate’ air quality today, as per AirNow. Kirkland, also showed moderate air quality.
One person on X, meanwhile, noted “The air quality in Seattle is quite bad today. All the smoke from eastern and central WA has moved across the mountains and is here. You can smell the smoke. It limits your sight when looking far away. May those showers they promised for the weekend come. Every goddamn year!”
The situation is due to the Wildcat Fire, which has been burning 30 miles northwest of Naches in the William O. Douglas Wilderness part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Smoke from this hampering air quality as well. The fire, in the east part of Mount Rainier National Park, has now surpassed 6,500 acres, and the air quality there is very unhealthy, and even hazardous. It has led to the closure of Naches Peak Loop Trail (including Pacific Crest Trail south to Laughingwater Creek / Three Lakes Trail), Shriner Peak Trail, and the southern access to the Deer Creek Trailhead and Owyhigh Lakes Trailhead via Highway 123.
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Highway 123 has also been closed to traffic between Cayuse Pass and Stevens Canyon Road.
Meanwhile, on the far west side of the state, the northern half of Lake Cushman and Staircase trailheads and campgrounds in and around the Olympic National Forest and National Park are closed due to the Bear Gulch Fire, which burns at 10,000 acres. Air quality south of the fire is unhealthy as well.
People react to poor air quality
With a dip in air quality, several people have taken to social media to complain. “Oh…This is by far the worst the air quality has been since the fires started and it’s starting to get gross outside,” a person shared on X.
Another exclaimed “I can barely breathe in Kirkland right now,” calling the entire situation horrible.
With smoke leading to a haze, one person suggested that people should head inside. “Seattle Peeps: go inside, this is very, very unhealthy air quality,” they said.
