Washington state lands officials say it’s been an active wildfire season so far, but not a catastrophic one. SPR’s Doug Nadvornick talked with Ryan Rodruck from the state Department of Natural Resources to get a summer update.

This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

Ryan Rodruck: We had predicted at DNR an above normal fire season, and I think the number of ignitions that we're seeing statewide are in line with that prediction of an above normal season. We're seeing ignitions that are on par with what we've seen in the previous years. That said, we are well below the 10-year average that we track on for total number of acres burned.

Doug Nadvornick: And why do you think that is?

RR: We have put a lot of emphasis this year on initial attack and also aircraft.

See Full Page