Pacific Northwest utilities prepare for hot, dry summer, intensifying wildfire concerns

摘要

Utilities across the Pacific Northwest are preparing for an active wildfire season with fire threat concerns rising for months due to lack of precipitation and drought conditions across most of the US West region. All of the Pacific Northwest is in or will be coming into drought conditions for fire season 2021, John Saltenberger, fire weather program manager with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, said May 26 during the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission Utility Wildfire Preparedness workshop. “A dry summer looks like it is coming our way,” Saltenberger said. “The potential for large, costly fires will ramp up earlier than typical.” The region is already seeing that come to fruition and the fire danger from a lengthy drought will spread across the region when the season picks up in July through September. In California and into the Oregon and Washington state there are very dry conditions.