Red flag fire warning issued for Tri-Cities area. Why sky is already hazy with smoke

Smoke drifting into the Tri-Cities on Friday and Saturday is from a wildfire burning in Klickitat County near Bickleton, Washington.

The air quality in the Tri-Cities deteriorated from good to moderate starting Friday afternoon and continuing into Saturday, according to Washington’s Air Monitoring Network.

The smoke could clear Monday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

More fires are possible over the weekend, with a red flag fire warning issued for the Tri-Cities, Wash., area and stretching as far west as The Dalles, Oregon, and Yakima, Washington.

The warning remains in effect through Sunday due to breezy weather, low afternoon humidity and high temperatures.

A fire weather watch has been issued from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday.

In the Tri-Cities, a high of 98 degrees was forecast Sunday with light breezes of 7 to 10 mph, with temperatures cooling to a high of 91 Monday. However, winds are forecast with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Highs in the low 90s or upper 80s are forecast through Saturday.

Benton County Fire District 1 sent an engine and other support to the Newell Road fire 17 miles east of Goldendale after the Washington State Fire Marshall authorized state mobilization Friday evening, with other Tri-Cities area fire agencies also expected to pitch in.

The fire had grown to nearly 47 square miles on Saturday. It was burning in grass, brush and timber and was threatening homes, farms, wheat fields, solar and wind farms, a landfill and livestock, according to the Washington Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Hillary Franz, Washington commissioner of public lands, posted on social medial Saturday that the fire has been one of the toughest to fight of the year so far, with high speed winds and dry fields.