Community Environment Health & Wellness

Air quality moderate as smoke from Bear Gulch fire clouds the region

Air quality on the Kitsap Peninsula will oscillate between healthy and moderate levels over the next couple days as smoke from the Bear Gulch wildfire on the Olympic Peninsula sweeps over the region.

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As of Monday afternoon, most areas of Kitsap, Pierce and King counties had ‘moderate’ air quality, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Air quality has fluctuated across the region since Saturday. 

The Bear Gulch fire on Sunday, Aug. 3. Photo courtesy Mason County Sheriff’s Office.

Air quality is considered acceptable at a moderate level. But people particularly sensitive to smoke — including children, those who are pregnant and people with respiratory conditions — should limit outdoor activities.

Forecasters expect hazy conditions to dissipate starting Wednesday, when rain arrives in Western Washington, said Kayla Mazurkiewicz, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

“Luckily, we do have a system coming in,” she said.

The human-caused Bear Gulch Fire ignited on July 6 north of Lake Cushman in the Olympic National Forest. The blaze covers nearly 4,800 acres and is 3% contained, according to an Aug. 4 update.

The update predicts the fire will continue burning until rain and snow arrives in the fall, thanks to dry conditions, steep terrain and ample fuel load.