Wildfire smoke could move into parts of Pierce County on Thursday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Bear Gulch Fire in Olympic National Park grew significantly Wednesday.
- Some wildfire smoke could reach Pierce County for parts of Thursday and Friday.
- Air quality would lessen to “moderate” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
Pierce County could see decreased air quality for portions of the next two days due to smoke from the Bear Gulch Fire burning in Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park, according to the region’s clean air agency.
Phil Swartzendruber, forecaster with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, said in a brief interview that air quality could downgrade to “moderate” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups” for a few hours beginning early to late Thursday afternoon and potentially again on Friday.
The Bear Gulch Fire grew significantly Wednesday, putting out a lot of smoke. It had burned nearly 2,000 acres and was only 3 percent contained, according to the latest information on InciWeb, which monitors wildfires across the nation. If the fire’s rate continues, smoke could reach western Pierce County, according to Swartzendruber. Air could appear hazy in the distance, and locals might be able to smell smoke, he said.
“Unfortunately, it’s a little hard to say for sure on this one because the fire behavior is a whole other beast on its own,” Swartzendruber said.
“Moderate” and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” are tiers directly beneath “good” air quality but better than lower levels that include “unhealthy” and “hazardous.”
Swartzendruber suggested people to try to plan ahead and put off outdoor activities that they might otherwise be able to do later.
Visit map.pscleanair.gov for latest conditions.
