2024 Washington wildfires
{{Short description|An overview of major wildfires in Washington during the year 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox wildfire
| title = 2024 Washington wildfires
| image =Retreat fire from head of Rimrock Lake.jpg
| caption =Retreat Fire from Rimrock Lake
| cost =
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| total_fires =
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| date = March 2024 – December 2024
| buildings =
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| is_season = yes
| year = 2024
| season_name = Washington wildfires
}}
The 2024 Washington wildfire season were a series of wildfires that had been burning throughout the U.S. state of Washington.
Background
While the typical "fire season" in Washington varies every year based on weather conditions, most wildfires occur in between July and October.{{cite web |title=Wildfire |url=https://mil.wa.gov/wildfire |website=mil.wa.gov |publisher=Emergency Management Division of Washington |access-date=April 26, 2025}} However, hotter, drier conditions can allow wildfires to start outside of these boundaries. Wildfires tend to start at these times of the year after moisture from winter and spring precipitation dries up. Vegetation and overall conditions are the hottest and driest in these periods. The increase of vegetation can make the fires spread easier.{{cite news |last1=Swanson |first1=Conrad |title=WA's wildfire seasons will last longer, cut deeper |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/was-wildfire-seasons-will-last-longer-cut-deeper/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Seattle Times |date=August 19, 2023}}
Events
Predictions for the 2024 fire season made by the National Interagency Fire Center in June 2024 included temperatures above normal and precipitation below normal, due to the ENSO transition to a La Niña pattern, resulting in an above normal fire potential for Western Washington in July through September.{{cite web|title=National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, period June through September 2024|publisher=National Interagency Fire Center|date=June 1, 2024|url=https://www.nifc.gov/nicc-files/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf|pages=1, 5–6}}
On July 10, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced a burn ban on its lands that would last until at least September 30. The ban was issued in response to several large, human-caused wildfires amid the statewide drought emergency and drier-than-normal weather across Washington. The largest fire at the time was the Pioneer Fire in the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest near Lake Chelan, which had grown to more than {{convert|12,000|acre|ha}}.{{cite news |last=Demkovich |first=Laurel |date=July 10, 2024 |title=Washington issues burn ban on state lands |url=https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/washington-issues-burn-ban-on-state-lands/ |work=Washington State Standard |accessdate=July 11, 2024}}
On October 30, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources announced the end of the 2024 fire season.https://www.applevalleynewsnow.com/news/wildfire-season-in-washington-and-oregon-comes-to-an-end/article_53130fde-96f1-11ef-89e7-2be2d57c4ed6.html Over 300,000 acres were burned by wildfires in Washington state in 2024.https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2024/oct/11/wildfires-torch-over-300000-acres-in-washington-th/
List of wildfires
The following is a list of fires that burned more than {{Convert|1000|acres}}, or produced significant structural damage or casualties.
{{maplink|frame=yes|frame-align=left|frame-width=700|frame-height=500|from=2024 United States wildfires.map
|frame-latitude=47.3|frame-longitude=-120.8|zoom=7|text=Perimeters of 2024 Washington wildfires (map data)}}
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See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Washington wildfires}}
{{2024 wildfires}}