Wildfire season has been a rough one for wildfire smoke in North Central Washington. As September comes to an end, much of the smoke that has reached dangerous levels over the last month has been generated by two fires burning near Wenatchee: the 40,000-acre Lower Sugarloaf fire and the 35,000+ acres burning in the Labor Mountain fire.

Outdoor workers in Washington state are covered by laws designed to protect them from the dangers of wildfire smoke. Washington enacted temporary rules in 2021 and 2022, but the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries made the protections permanent and year-round last year

Washington, Oregon, and California became the only states with permanent, year-round rules that will limit exposure for outdoor workers to breathing the tiny particles found in

See Full Page