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As Earth's temperatures reach record highs, fire officials brace for severe wildfire season

Officials are bracing for another severe wildfire season in Washington state. Low precipitation has led to extremely dry conditions around the state. Last month, John Saltenberger with the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center told KUOW that worsening drought conditions have officials "anticipating the fire threat in Washington to be probably the greatest in the nation at this point.? Wildfires have already prompted evacuations. Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Maria Cantwell, legislators and other local leaders visited the 556-acre Tunnel 5 wildfire in Skamania on Friday. The fire, which is currently 20% contained, has destroyed ten homes. The cause is still under investigation. More than 450 firefighters have been deployed to battle the blaze. Among those who are supporting the response are incarcerated individuals from Larch Corrections Center. Though the state is preparing to close LCC in October, Inslee reiterated the state's commitment to maintaining capacity from Department of Corrections' work crews for wildfire response in Southwest Washington and across the state. Wildfire seasons are becoming longer and more severe due to climate change. In 2021, Washington experienced its deadliest heat wave on record with more than 150 people dying from heat-related illness. In October 2022, Seattle had the worst air quality in the world due to wildfires in the Cascade Mountains. This year, Earth is reaching its hottest temperatures ever on record and new reports indicate extreme heat will create $1 billion in health-related costs in the United States this year and send hundreds of thousands of people to the hospital. In addition to policies to combat climate change, the state has increased funding for firefighting and forest health. Last year, legislators and the governor also authorized the state?s military department to develop a new individual assistance program. Once implemented and funded, the program will help families displaced by wildfire pay for shelter and basic needs. About 85 percent of fires are caused by humans and can be prevented. Washington?s Department of Natural Resources is reminding people to check for local burn restrictions before lighting any fires, completely extinguish fires before leaving campsites, avoid parking cars in dry grassy areas, and more. Wildfires also cause poor air quality. Residents can track air quality conditions on the Washington Smoke blog and find tips for protecting family members from the harm of outdoor smoke.

Biden Administration?s ?Investing in America? tour comes to Washington

Federal, state, local and Tribal leaders gathered with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg at the Port Orchard Marina on Thursday to discuss how federal grant funding will support infrastructure projects throughout Washington.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg traveled to Washington state this week to see how federal infrastructure investments are being put to work.

On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Congressman Rick Larsen, and other local leaders visited the Mukilteo Ferry Terminal and discussed Washington State Ferries? transition to an electric, emission-free fleet. Federal funds are helping the state retrofit ferries with hybrid-electric batteries and build ferry charging systems.

Buttigieg, Inslee, the senators and Congressman Derek Kilmer also visited Port Orchard to discuss federal RAISE grants. Grant awards will support several infrastructure projects, including the replacement of the breakwater at Port Orchard?s marina and the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe's relocation efforts to mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels.

On Friday, Buttigieg met with Cantwell, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and others in Washougal. They highlighted how a federal grant is helping build a new underpass at 32nd Street, a busy intersection crossed by the BNSF Railway. The project will alleviate traffic backups and significantly improve safety and emergency response capabilities.

More information on how the Biden-Harris Administration is investing in Washington can be found?here.

Washington leaders celebrate July 4 by welcoming new U.S. citizens

On Tuesday, July 4, more than 500 people from 80 countries attended the Annual Naturalization Ceremony at Seattle Center to be sworn in as citizens of the United States. Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and other leaders offered messages of congratulations and welcome.

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Statewide drought advisory in effect

The warmest May on record coupled with an abnormally dry spring and early summer have resulted in quickly declining water supplies. This prompted the Department of Ecology to issue a statewide drought advisory. A drought advisory is informational only and provides early warning of a possible drought. It promotes awareness and readiness for water users in areas with developing drought conditions.?Ecology offers tips for households on how to conserve water, including taking shorter showers and only washing full loads of dishes or laundry.

Washington?s space leaders convene at Washington State Space Summit

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Senator Maria Cantwell and leaders from Washington?s space industry convened at Blue Origin in Kent this week for the Washington State Space Summit. Cantwell said the summit was an opportunity to showcase how Washington?s space sector ?has helped maintain America?s position in leadership of space exploration.?

Nelson's appearance was notable. NASA?s Artemis project aims to return a team of astronauts to the moon, supporting the ultimate goal of travel to Mars. More than 40 Washington companies have contracts associated with Artemis. The sector is growing rapidly in Washington and currently supports about 13,000 jobs.

Fare-free transit during MLB All-Star events

The 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is here! King County Metro, Sound Transit, Kitsap Transit, and the Seattle Department of Transportation Streetcar will go fare-free on July 10-11. Free fares will help fans get to events, shorten boarding times, and welcome new riders to transit.

The fare-free days will run during regular service hours to help fans get to the Home Run Derby on July 10 and the MLB All-Star Game on July 11. Along with Metro buses, the following Metro services will be free on those days:?

• Access Paratransit
• King County Water Taxi, with service being extended until 11 p.m. on both days to accommodate riders
• Metro and RapidRide buses
• Metro Flex on-demand service

Summertime means ?Hornet Hunter? time

Since the first confirmed detection of the northern giant hornet (Vespa mandarina,?also known as the Asian giant hornet) in 2019, there has been overwhelming interest from the public to help eradicate this invasive pest. The Washington State Department of Agriculture has welcomed the community?s support. More than half of the confirmed hornet detections in the state come from public reports.

There are multiple ways people can help,?including a Public Hornet Trapping Project that allows community members to build traps and report any hornets that are caught. Traps are placed in July and left up through November. Learn more about the northern giant hornet and how to report a sighting.

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