2023 Washington wildfires
The 2023 Washington wildfire season officially began in March 2023 in the US state of Washington.
| 2023 Washington wildfires | |
|---|---|
The Sourdough Fire on August 4 | |
| Date(s) | March 2023–present |
| Statistics | |
| Total fires | 1,515 |
| Total area | 165,365 acres (66,921 hectares) |
| Impacts | |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Season | |
← 2022
2024 → | |
Conditions going into the season were low-risk for fire, with higher than average precipitation over the prior winter and spring. Some experts anticipate a later peak, possibly into November, for the Pacific Northwest due to El Niño effects.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources planned to ignite controlled burns on over 2,100 acres (8 km2) to prevent larger fires from developing during the season.
The Northwest Coordination Center upgraded the region's preparedness level (referring to the availability of firefighting resources) from PL 1 to PL 2 on July 3, PL 3 on July 23, PL 4 on August 12, and PL5—the highest level—on August 19.
As of August 22, 2023, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources dashboard reported that 1,515 fires have burned a total of 146,220 acres (59,170 hectares) in Washington during the year to date.