Climate Impacts Group

Gov. Inslee Points to Climate Change as Wildfires Choke Washington State, West Coast

[Gov. Jay Inlsee] and a fire ecologist warned during a news conference that if something isn’t done about climate change, conditions will worsen for the U.S. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist and fire ecologist, is quoted. 

“As bad as it is now (and) as high as the risks are now, they will continue to worsen as long as climate change is an issue,” Raymond said. “We can expect to see more extreme fire danger days, longer fire seasons and overall greater acreage burned.”  

Wildfire News Updates, September 15: What to Know Today About the Destructive Fires in Washington State and on the West Coast

Destructive wildfires continue to rip through the state, with firefighters battling some 30 fires in Washington and Oregon. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist and a fire ecologist, is quoted.  

As Nearby Fires Reach Containment, Inslee Points to Climate Change

As fires in Eastern Washington slowed down Tuesday, tens of thousands of acres continued to burn in the state, a fact Gov. Jay Inslee attributes to climate change. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist, is quoted.  

Gov. Inslee: Too Much Suffering to ‘Ignore Clear and Present Danger’ of Climate Change Induced Fires

The air quality across Washington state this week is “unhealthy at best, hazardous at worst,” said Governor Jay Inslee in a Tuesday press conference. Crystal Raymond is quoted.

“The connection between climate change and increasing fire potential across the west has been clearly established by scientists for over a decade,” Raymond said. “The situation that we are in now is unfortunate, but it does not come as a surprise to fire scientists who have been studying this issue for several years across the region.” 

What Makes Smoke Forecasts So Hard to Predict — and How Tech Could Help

For reasons seemingly as numerous as current air pollution readings, guessing at how wildfire smoke will behave is tricky business. Crystal Raymond is quoted in this article from GeekWire. 

“Studies of climate change effects on wildfire show that with continued warming and drier summers, we expect to see more acreage burned and more large wildfires throughout the western US,” Crystal said. “And where there is fire, there is smoke.”  

Why Western Washington Air Doesn’t Smell So Smoky Anymore (But is Still Harmful)

The air in the Puget Sound region remains unhealthy because of wildfires, but it doesn’t smell as smoky as it did last week. [That’s because] the smoke we’re breathing around western Washington, days after it arrived, is kind of old. Crystal Raymond is quoted. 

Climate Change Front of Mind as Cloud of Smoke Chokes Washington Again

Fires and smoke are sometimes called the “new normal” of climate change in the Northwest. But some hope these events will be yet another wake-up call. Climate Impacts Group Director Amy Snover is quoted.

“It’s terrifying to see what’s happening,” Snover said. “It’s upsetting to see what’s happening. And the worst of it is, it’s only going to get worse until we decide we don’t want it to get worse anymore, and reduce and eliminate greenhouse emissions.” 

Threat Multiplier: How Climate Change, Coronavirus and Weather are Scorching WA

Fires swept across the state and much of the west in the first full week of September. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist, draws the connection between wildfire and climate change. 

Gusty Winds, Hot Weather and Wildfires: Will Washington See More of This in the Future?

For the third day in a row, relentless winds from the east and northeast helped to significantly increase the fire danger across western Washington amid mounting requests for residents to avoid starting any new fires. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist, is quoted.  

Multiple Wildfires Devastate Large Swaths Of Areas In Eastern Washington

In Washington state, fires burned more land in a day than they normally burn in entire fire seasons. Crystal Raymond, climate adaptation specialist, discussed the connection between climate change and wildfire for National Public Radio.

“Basically, climate change is loading the dice” when it comes to wildfire risk, Crystal says. “And then you get a wind event, and things are just ready to go.”