SEATTLE — Editor's note: The above video on a first-of-its-kind wildfire map in Washington originally aired July 22, 2022.
As the 2022 fire season comes to an end, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said it resulted in the fewest acres burned in a decade.
This year to date, just over 140,300 acres have burned around Washington state, according to DNR, compared to 2021's 484,000 acres and 2020's 842,000 acres burned. 2021 and 2020 were the second and third-worst in the state's history. 2015 marks the state's worst fire season in history where more than a million acres burned.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz celebrated the moderate fire season Friday and thanked those who helped fight fires this season. Fire season typically begins in early July and ends in late September.
"A combination of DNR equipment, aerial firefighting assets, personnel, partnerships with other agencies, as well as a wet and rainy spring that delayed the start of this year's fire season contributed to our success," Franz said.
Franz also said last year's House Bill 1168 was key in fighting fires in the state. Franz said the funding helped DNR keep more than 94% of fires to 10 acres or less.
Even though the 2022 fire season was moderate, Franz still stressed the importance of fire safety and the use of fire prevention practices, as the Bolt Creek Fire continues to burn.
"Bolt Creek has reminded us that wildfire doesn't see boundaries," Franz said. "As climate change and other factors have worsened the length and impact of fire seasons, turning them instead into fire years, wildfire is no longer an eastside issue – it's a statewide one."
The Bolt Creek Fire, near Skykomish, broke out on Sept. 10. DNR estimates the fire at 12,927 acres and 36% contained. The fire continues to burn into the Wild Sky Wildnerness and prompted several closures of US 2. The exact origin and cause details are still under investigation, but the Western Washington Incident Management Team confirmed it was human-caused.