Everett's air quality index reached dangerous levels on Wednesday morning, with PM2.5 (smoke particles) over 3 times the World Health Organization's daily recommended value. Smoke from fires burning near Spokane and across the border in British Columbia left an orange haze over Snohomish County through the day. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued an alert that covers five counties through this evening, while a heat advisory remains in effect. Residents with asthma report struggling to breathe.
None of this is a surprise; Everett Community covered the wildfire forecast in April when snowpack in the Cascades peaked at just half the normal levels, turning forest into dry fuel much earlier in the year. Wind patterns spared western Washington for most of July by keeping the smoke high in the atmosphere, but winds shifted this week.
Above-normal fire potential is forecast across all of Washington through September, which means more smoky days are likely. All of this leaves Everett residents asking, "Is this the new normal?"
Summer 2050
Periodic fire is a normal part of Pacific Northwest forest cycles, and some recent years have mirrored historic trends. But for the past three decades, higher temperatures, reduced snowpack, and the increased length of fire season have changed the landscape and are expected to continue. Washington is in a record-setting fourth consecutive statewide drought. More than 1,000 fires have burned roughly 425,000 acres this year, the most since 2021.
Fire season across the western United States runs nearly twice as long as it did in 1970. Average annual air temperature in the Puget Sound region is projected to run about 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by 2050, and both Washington and Oregon are projected to see roughly double the number of dangerous heat-advisory days. A child starting kindergarten in Everett this year will be in their early thirties by then.
Health Risks
Wildfire smoke contributes to an estimated 11,415 non-accidental deaths a year across the contiguous United States. Cardiovascular disease accounts for roughly 40 percent of them. People 65 and older carry the highest risk. Children with developing immune systems may experience higher rates of asthma and lung disease.
Smoke and extreme heat compound each other. A smoky day inside a heat wave is more dangerous than either condition alone, which is the combination Snohomish County is under this week. The 2021 heat dome killed 138 people in Washington, 15 of them in Snohomish County. A 2025 study projects that under a high-warming scenario, wildfire smoke could cause 71,420 excess deaths a year nationally by 2050, a 73 percent increase over the past decade.
Winter 2050
The warming patterns developing today also produce a wetter cold season. Puget Sound's heaviest rainfall events are projected to grow 4 to 30 percent more intense by 2050. Washington's wettest winter on record, in 2017, brought flooding and landslide hazards across the region.
Sea level in Puget Sound is rising faster than along most of the U.S. coastline, partly because the land here is subsiding. While a 2022 federal projection estimates sea levels along the contiguous U.S. coast about a foot higher by 2050, Washington's coast is on pace to experience - in just three decades - roughly what it saw across the entire twentieth century.
Economic Impacts
A single smoke event from Canadian wildfires this year cost New York an estimated $5 billion and Michigan more than $4 billion, driven largely by canceled outdoor events and lost foot traffic to businesses serving customers outdoors. One bad Oregon fire season cost the state an estimated $51 million in visitor spending and $16 million in lost worker earnings.
Research from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that disaster response funding consistently outpaces prevention funding, and the funding for disaster response often comes from prevention budgets, creating a circular financial drain. Here in Washington, roughly $80 million in supplemental wildfire funding was needed on top of the 2019 budget, because the state sets fire budgets from historical averages that a warming climate keeps outrunning.
Borrowing from the future to address today's emergencies has long-term effects on quality of life. Money spent reacting to smoke and heat is money not spent on parks, health, or everyday civic programs. Over time, reactive spending grows and discretionary spending shrinks.
Everett's summer economy is largely based on outdoor events, such as the weekly farmers market, Summer In The City, and the Schack Art Center's upcoming Fresh Paint Festival. While these events and others aren't expected to be cancelled, they may draw smaller crowds.
County Response
Snohomish County officials have drafted a Communitywide Climate Resiliency Plan, covering flooding, extreme heat, drought, and wildfire. But until the draft is adopted and funded, projects are on hold. This year, Snohomish County committed $1.5 million to expand its network of cooling centers, and the Everett Public Library is the city's main free public option for clean, cooled air. The library features MERV-13 air filters that capture smoke particles, but with people entering and exiting during open hours, that air is harder to keep clean.
The library is also closed two days a week due to a rejected levy - both branches now close Sundays and Mondays. Those who can afford air filters and weather sealing at home will be fine on a week like this one. Those who cannot face challenges to their health and survival.
State of Emergency
Washington is currently under a State of Emergency due to severe wildfires impacting communities across the state. A limited burn ban is in effect until September 30, and may be extended if conditions warrant. Members of the Washington National Guard and Washington State Guard have been authorized to temporarily support firefighting forces.
Washington received a Major Disaster Declaration for flooding eight months ago, and the Governor's office is currently preparing to request a Major Disaster Declaration for fire. While these declarations unlock much-needed funding, they highlight the pattern of reactive spending, rather than prevention. Cities like Everett, impacted by smoke but not fire, won't receive those funds.
If you'd like to support communities impacted by wildfires, agencies across the state are organizing official resources.
Chelan‑Douglas Community Action Council (CDCAC)
Serves: Chelan and Douglas Counties
Phone: 509‑662‑6156
Northwest Community Action Center
Serves: Yakima County, South
Phone: 509-865-7630
North Opportunities Industrialization Center of Washington
Serves: Adams, Grant, Yakima North
Phone: 509-248-6751
Okanogan County Community Action Council (OCCAC)
Serves: Okanogan County
Phone: 509‑422‑4041
Rural Resources Community Action
Serves: Stevens, Ferry, Lincoln and Pend Oreille Counties
Phone: 509-684-8421
Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP)
Serves: Spokane County
Phone: 509‑456‑7627