Happy Fourth of July – and please celebrate responsibly

Every summer, the Fourth of July brings air quality concerns. Smoke from fireworks is composed of particle pollution and toxic compounds, and air quality monitoring sites in Washington tend to register above-average values on the Air Quality Index (AQI) during and following Independence Day celebrations. These elevated AQI values generally persist into the early morning hours of July 5 but can linger longer if atmospheric conditions trap the pollution near the surface. The air pollution generated by these events impacts wildlife, the environment, and people – especially those in sensitive groups.

So, many communities in Washington can expect air quality to diminish the night of the 4th into the morning of the 5th, especially in urban areas with lots of fireworks. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has already set their AQI forecast to “moderate” for this time.

Across the state, fireworks are prohibited in most urban areas. This includes Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Yakima, Spokane, and Bellingham. If you’re not sure what’s allowed where you live, contact your local fire department. As they like to say at the Department of Natural Resources: don’t set the state on fire.

National Weather Service (NWS) forecast

Today (July 3), there is a small chance of thunderstorms and lightning in northeast Washington and northern Idaho. This means new fires could start in that region. Starting Thursday (July 4), conditions will be dry and temperatures hot throughout the state. Afternoon highs will be 10-15 degrees above normal and an excessive heat warning has been issued for central and eastern Washington. See the graphic below from the National Weather Service (Spokane) for more details.

NWS Caption: "Our first significant heat wave of the season will develop this weekend and persist well into next week. The early to middle part of next week has the potential to threaten records with moderate to major values of Heat Risk. Hot and dry weather will also lead to increasing fire danger as our landscape becomes increasingly dry."

Fireworks and wildfires

Humans are responsible for starting at least 85% of all wildfires. And we start more wildfires on July 4 than on any other day of the year. Between 1992 and 2015, more than 7,000 wildfires were sparked nationwide on this date alone. Given the state’s current drought conditions, we encourage everyone to consider attending a public fireworks display rather than lighting fireworks at home, where injuries and accidental fires are more likely to occur.

Wildfire season is here

Wildfires have already begun across Washington. A few communities have seen evacuations and poor air quality. As we move deeper into this year’s wildfire season, please ensure you know how to protect yourself and those around you. This means:

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Happy Fourth of July – and please celebrate responsibly

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