Red flag weather warning issued for holiday for much of SW Washington, including Thurston

Dry, hot and unstable conditions have led the National Weather Service in Seattle to issue red flag warnings for much of southwest Washington, including Thurston and Lewis counties and parts of Mason, Grays Harbor and Pierce counties.

The warning will run from 7 a.m. Tuesday, which is the Fourth of July holiday, to 7 p.m. Wednesday. Residents can expect high temperatures to hover around 90, and humidity will be as low as 15-20% in the afternoons.

Samantha Borth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told The Olympian that forecasters worked with fire partners to determine the need for a red flag warning, which means warm temperatures, very low humidities, and stronger winds are expected to combine to produce an increased risk of fire danger.

People should be careful with fire triggers while celebrating the Fourth of July, she said. “For the most part, any fires that do start will have the potential to spread rapidly,” Borth said.

On Monday, Thurston County announced that a county burn ban will go into effect Wednesday, July 5, and remain in effect until Sept. 29, which is typically the end of wildfire season. The Thurston County Fire Marshal, County Manager, Board of County Commissioners, and Director of Emergency Services as well as the state Department of Natural Resources and the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency can enforce restrictions.

Recreational fires are allowed only in approved concrete, stone or metal pits.

Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater have banned the sale and use of fireworks within city limits, including sparklers. Fireworks can be banned in unincorporated Thurston County in a given year if the Board of County Commissioners takes action because of weather conditions, but there is no ban this year.

However, the use of fireworks in the county is limited to 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 3 and 4, county spokesperson Meghan Porter said.

This story was originally published July 3, 2023 at 3:50 PM.

Joanna Hou

The Olympian

Joanna Hou is a news intern for The Olympian. She is a student at Northwestern University majoring in journalism and history, and has previously worked at Frontline PBS and Midstory. At her college paper, The Daily Northwestern, she most recently served as campus editor.