PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A weather pattern bringing an easterly flow of winds is forecast over much of the fire-stricken Pacific Northwest this weekend. With warming temperatures and dropping humidity, conditions are primed for growth on existing wildfires fires and the potential for new starts, the U.S. Forest Service warned Thursday.
Here’s the rest of the Forest Service announcement, an Oregon Department of Forestry news release and updates on major fires in the area:
East wind events are common this time of year. They often start in late August, continue into September, and may last into October. These winds flow eastward across the Cascade Mountains bringing dry, arid air accelerating fire danger. The severity and duration of east winds varies widely. While these seasonal east winds are not forecast to be as intense as the wind event experienced over Labor Day in September 2020, they may produce some gusts.
With this easterly flow, fire managers expect to see an increase in fire danger. This means new wildfires may be challenging to contain until weather moderates again. Existing fires that have shown little growth and smoke over the last week may become more active. The shifting winds (west to east) may lead to existing fires expanding in different directions, exposing previously unburned forest fuels.