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'I'll always be Lightning Bill': A lookout reflects on 29 seasons of smoke and fire
When Bill Austin started as a fire lookout, he was one of three watching over the Methow Valley. Today he's the last one.
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Finding hints of our future in the epic blazes of the Northwest's past
A visit to the site of the Norse Peak fire — the worst in Western Washington since the Yacolt Burn of 1902 — reveals both the promise and limits of human forest management.
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The secret history of smokejumpers in Washington's Methow Valley
Now a staple in combating wildfires across the West, barnstormers and foresters developed one of the most elite firefighting programs here in Washington.
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Smoke may be seasonal — but preparation is year-round
After a quiet smoke season, health experts explain why Washington agencies and residents should prepare for the next big one.
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Wildfires are burned into Washington's history — and our headlines
We might think of smoky summers as a new plague. But for centuries, wildfire smoke has been confounding Northwesterners, blocking sunsets and even sinking ships.