2015 Washington wildfires

2015 Washington wildfires
Smoke plume over the Wolverine Fire on August 4
Statistics
Total fires1,541[1]
Total area1,005,423 acres (406,880 ha)[1]
Impacts
Deaths3[2]
Non-fatal injuries4[3]
Damage$253 million [4]
Season
← 2014
2016 →

The 2015 wildfire season was the largest in Washington state history,[5] with more than one million acres (400,000 ha; 1,600 sq mi) burning across the state from June to September.[1] As many as 3,000 firefighters including 800 Washington National Guard members were deployed to fight the fires.[6][7] The 17th Field Artillery Brigade of the United States Army also deployed 200 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis–McChord to help fight the fires.[8]

On August 21, President Barack Obama declared the fires a federal emergency.[citation needed] On August 24, the Washington Department of Natural Resources announced the Okanogan Complex fire had become the largest fire complex in Washington State history.[9]

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources called the season the "worst-ever" in the state's history.[10]

  1. ^ a b c "2015 Northwest Fire Statistics to Date". NWCC Info. Northwest Interagency Coordination Center. September 30, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  2. ^ "Fallen firefighters remembered as heroes as thousands battle blazes across west". Fox News. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  3. ^ Warren, Ted S.; Johnson, Gene (August 20, 2015). "3 Firefighters Die in Wildfire After Vehicle Crashes". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015.
  4. ^ Mapes, Jeff (September 30, 2015). "After wildfires rage in the West, Congress moves to provide $700 million in emergency aid". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Kamb, Lewis; Doughton, Sandi; González, Ángel (August 21, 2015). "Washington wildfires rage; Obama declares state of emergency". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "Wildfires explode in size as high winds blast region". KOMO-TV. August 21, 2015. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  7. ^ "On the front lines: 800 National Guard troops join battle against raging wildfires". Q13 FOX News. August 24, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  8. ^ "On the Front Lines". Q13 FOX News. August 24, 2015. Archived from the original on December 2, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  9. ^ "Okanogan Complex fire the largest in Washington state history". Ottawa, Ontario: CBC News. Associated Press. August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  10. ^ "2015 Wildfire Summary" (PDF). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 22, 2016.