Walla Walla County in Washington is under a state of emergency because of the Paradise Fire.
Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson invoked the administrative tool over the weekend on Aug. 28 due to the impact of wildfire on Walla Walla’s 35,000 residents who rely on a treatment facility within Mill Creek Watershed for their drinking water.
The Paradise Fire was sparked by lightning on July 16 and has burned more than 8,000 acres of the 21,440-acre Mill Creek Watershed land area.
An adjacent drinking water facility lacks the capability to filter out ash, sediment, and contaminants introduced by the burn, according to Ferguson.
“The impacts from wildfires do not end when the flames go out,” he said on Aug. 26 at Walla Walla Community College. “Wildfires can have long-lasting impacts. We are in this for the long haul to ensure communities get the help they need.”
The Paradise fire is among many active fires that have been straining state firefighting resources.
“This wildfire will significantly change the watershed conditions and increase the risk of flooding, landslides, debris flows, and sedimentation,” Ferguson said in the emergency statement. “Federal assistance is needed to determine potential solutions or actions that can be implemented to mitigate the short- and long-term impacts to the watershed and the City’s water source.”
On Aug. 1, Ferguson issued a wider wildfire emergency due to extreme drought, hot temperatures, high winds, and severe fire activity in Eastern Washington.
The decree includes a prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning until September 30 and extends across the state.
On Aug. 10, Ferguson amended the declaration to include wildfires in eight counties and three tribes.
The proclamation is applicable to Chelan, Ferry, Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, Douglas and Yakima counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Spokane Tribe of Indians.