As of Wednesday, 33 large fires were burning across Washington state and in Oregon — 20 in Washington state alone.

They are named “Stickpin” or “ Windy Ridge” or “Tunk Block”.  Behind those labels are hundreds of firefighters, thousands of hours of labor and millions of public dollars.

A large fire is any wildland fire in timber 100 acres or greater, or 300 acres or more in grasslands or rangelands.   When you add it all up — there are a lot of buildings, timber and land on fire.

The smoke can be seen as well from space as from a car driving across the state. Smoke hovered over the wheat fields along Highway 261 between Washtucna and Ritzville last Monday where the elevation rises to 1,800 feet or more above sea level. The smoke could been seen in three directions  from fires 100 miles or more to the north.

Twenty  percent or more of the state was in an air quality advisory situation — unhealthy and hazardous for many. Many more are suffering from shock and sorrow.    No life has been lost but other losses are huge.

Meanwhile the wind continues to blow, bringing dust and increasing risk to already dry and vulnerable areas.

Over here in Western Washington, it is also dry — one of the driest summers on record. Usually, we are rescued by the rain.  But the increasing level of fires make it difficult to ignore no matter where you live.  A few months ago, even the typically  damp Olympic National Park was on fire.

Closer to home there were other ominous signs of fire. There were patches of black along Interstate 90 from Issaquah to Ellensburg. Something had ignited the grass next to the highway shoulder or in the median. Were they begun by a spark from a truck, lightning — or a cigarette?

It is too upsetting to guess.

Anyone caught tossing a cigarette out the window should have to suit up and help put out a fire out in the wilderness.