By Bill Lucia | Editor
Dozens of large wildfires are burning across the Pacific Northwest, with nearly 2 million acres already scorched. To battle the blazes, state leaders around the region are calling for firefighting reinforcements. “I keep getting depressed every time I listen to the meteorologists,” said Washington state forester George Geissler. “There’s really not any relief we can see.” He said conditions are comparable to late August in terms of fire activity, even though it’s still July. “We are in a bad fire year,” he added.
Also in today’s edition…
Washington’s request for federal funding to repair storm-damaged roads.
A state agency lags far behind on required inspections of egg facilities.
And, concerns about federal agents showing up at voting sites.
News tips, feedback, questions? Email us: [email protected]
The Ptarmigan Fire burning in Washington’s Pasayten Wilderness, as seen in this aerial photo taken by smokejumpers July 20, has crossed the Canadian border and burned at least 18,000 acres so far. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)
By Alex Brown
Across Washington and Oregon, wildland fire crews are fighting 45 large fires that have burned more than 1.8 million acres so far, an area larger than the state of Delaware. Roughly 2.6 million acres have burned nationwide this year.
Among the larger fires in Washington are the Kaiser Canyon Fire, burning in the northeast corner of the state, in areas around Nespelem and the Colville Indian Reservation, and the Little Giant Fire, which is about 30 miles northwest of Leavenworth. The Kaiser Canyon Fire is now more than 128,000 acres and the Little Giant Fire, more than 25,000, according to InciWeb.
In Oregon, state forester Kacey KC said teams from 35 different states are currently fighting fires in the Northwest, and Oregon is No. 1 on the national priority list as new resources become available. Idaho Gov. Brad Little has ordered the Idaho National Guard to help fight a fire along the state’s border with Oregon.
A damaged section of State Route 542 between mileposts 43 and 45 east of Glacier after flooding from an atmospheric river in December 2025. (Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation)
By Jake Goldstein-Street
Washington is seeking an estimated $76 million in federal reimbursements for repairs to highways damaged in December’s historic flooding. The state expects the Federal Highway Administration will reimburse most of the repair costs, but officials say it will likely take years. So far, Washington has asked the Trump administration for upward of $250 million in federal aid to respond to the record-breaking flooding.
By Aspen Ford
Washington’s Department of Agriculture did not complete hundreds of mandated inspections at egg production and packing plants for the past two years, posing health risks to consumers, according to a new state audit. A 2024 audit found similar issues.
The department failed to complete 97% of required quarterly inspections of egg packing plants between state fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the state auditor’s office reported. It also failed to meet its own annual inspection frequency targets for egg production plants, which are generally on the same site as packing plants.
In its response to the findings, the agriculture department has said it lacks the staff to meet the inspection requirements. Officials are working to update Washington’s egg inspection guidelines, which are stricter than federal inspection standards.
By Amelia Twyman
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not planning an aggressive campaign at voting sites during the upcoming midterm elections, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. “ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations,” a DHS official said. DHS made similar statements earlier this year. In this case, the department was responding to a request for comment about a letter this week from Senate Democrats demanding to know more about the Trump administration’s possible plans to send federal law enforcement officers to polling places.
ICYMI
Why WA’s certification process for home care aides is getting bogged down | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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