Washington, August 24, 2016 – Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has declared state of emergency in 20 counties following reports of wildfires in the state.
The affected counties are Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Klickitat, Lincoln and Okanogan.
The rest counties affected by the fire are Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Yakima, Walla Walla and Whitman.
Governor Inslee attributed the wildfires to diseased trees and climate change which he said have created “explosive conditions” in forests.
“Our forests and wild lands are under attack from climate change,” Inslee said.In his proclamation, Inslee directed state agencies to do everything reasonably possible to assist local governments in responding to and recovering from the fires.
He called on staff at the State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate state firefighting efforts, and allowed the use of the Washington National Guard if needed.
“This proclamation frees up state resources so we can provide the assistance that these communities might need,” Inslee said.
