Thursday, July 9, 2026 Emergency Management Daily Briefing for Whatcom County

Whatcom County Hazard Mitigation Plan update survey

We will be keeping the Hazard Mitigation Plan survey up indefinitely, but only including comments made by July 1 for this update. The public is encouraged to provide input and feedback through the survey.

Active Incidents

Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Emergency Operations Center is not activated. Make sure you are signed up for alerts, see WhatcomReady to sign up.

Advisories, Watches and Warnings

There currently are no advisories, watches or warnings in Whatcom County.

DNR fire danger level is at moderate. See here for more information.

Whatcom County Outdoor Burning: As of June 15, there is a Stage 1 burn ban in place until September 15.

WA Dept. of Ecology has declared a drought as of April 8, 2026 that includes Whatcom County. See here for more information. The U.S. Drought Monitor does not have Whatcom County in a drought. See here for more information.

Whatcom County Inland Weather

Dry and mild weather expected to continue into the morning hours on Thursday. There will likely not be much of a threat for low overcast skies going into Thursday morning thus expect to see temperatures able to radiate off aiding to a crisp morning. Otherwise clear sunny skies will fill the rest of the afternoon with no significant concerns. As we head into the overnight hours on Thursday and into Friday morning overcast skies will fill back in with stronger on shore flow. Watch for some light rain/drizzle at times through midday on Friday before skies break apart and weather dries out.

A weak low pressure center spinning off the coast will continue to be seen going into the first half of the weekend. This will aid to more low lying clouds going into Saturday morning and thus patchy mist/drizzle at times before drying out into the afternoon. Cloud cover will begin to clear out for the second half of the weekend with dry weather and warming temperatures expected going into the up coming work week. Winds will generally be fairly mild as well, save the average diurnal afternoon gusts reaching up to 20-25mph at times.

Coastal Weather

High pressure will rebuild offshore behind a front today. Another weak area of low pressure system with a frontal system will pass through Friday, with high pressure rebuilding offshore through weekend. Another system will drop down from the Gulf of Alaska early next week.

For the Strait and Inland Coastal waters of Whatcom County today we will have south winds at 5-10 knots. Wind waves around 2 feet or less. Moving into the evening, winds will be from the south at 5-10 knots. Wind waves around 2 feet or less. Tomorrow winds will be from the south at 5-10 knots. Wind waves around 2 feet or less. For look at real time coastal weather and tides you can link here to the Cherry Point NOAA Tide Station.

Air Quality

Air quality is good today. Visit the Whatcom County Health and Community Services Wildfire Smoke for up-to-date information and air quality.

Emergency Management Tips and Reminders

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Activities

CERT classes are ongoing. See here to sign up for a class and more information.

Events we are participating in

Date	Time	Location	Event Name	Sponsor
May 2	11 am-2 pm	Peaceful Valley Clubhouse, 8335 Kendall Rd., Kendall	Community Wildfire Preparedness Day	Whatcom Conservation District
May 24	12 noon	Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham	Whatcom Memorial Day Parade	Whatcom Memorial Day Parade
June 6	10 am-1 pm	Barkley Village, 2900 Woburn St., Bellingham	Family Safety Fair	Barkley Village and South Whatcom Fire Authority
June 28	10 am- 2 pm	Lummi Island Fire Station 38	WCFD 11 Open House/Safety Fair	Lummi Island Fire Dept
July 12	11 am-1 pm	Downtown Bellingham-starts at Halleck St	Bellingham Pride Parade

Preparedness Tips

Wildland Fire Tips

Learn the Fire Evacuation Levels

Level 1: Ready

A level one threat means it is time to prepare to evacuate. Review your emergency plan and evacuation routes, including plans for pets or livestock. Ensure your Go-Kit is packed and ready. Follow local news on TV, radio or social media.

Level 2: Get Set

A level two threat means the emergency is less predicable and you need to be ready to leave at any moment. If you have young children or vulnerable dependents you should leave now so you have time to evacuate safely. Keep monitoring the news for updates.

Level 3: Go

A level 3 alert means there is immediate, extreme danger in your area. Evacuate immediately.

Be aware during critical fire weather Puget Sound Energy may, as a last resort mitigation tool, proactively de-energize specific powerlines to reduce the risk of electrical system ignition of wildfires. More information can be found here on PSE’s Wildfire Prevention.

Wildfire is a cause of concern for us all in the Evergreen State. While wildfire has historically played a crucial role in Washington's forest ecology, climate change and other factors have led to longer, more destructive fire seasons, which threaten communities throughout the state's diverse landscape. But there are a number of steps landowners can take to protect their property -- and their neighbors'.

Every year across our nation, some homes survive - while many others do not - after a major wildfire. Those that survive almost always do so because their owners had prepared for the eventuality of fire, which is an inescapable force of nature in fire-prone wildland areas.

DNR's Wildfire Ready Neighbors program and Community Resilience team and the Whatcom Conservation District are here to help you make your property more resistant to the growing danger of wildfire statewide. Go to WildfireReady.com or Whatcom Conservation District to sign up for a free action plan and home wildfire assessment.

You may also visit the National Fire Protection Association’s Preparing Homes for Wildfire website for additional information.

Farmers can visit the WA Dept of Agriculture website for agriculture and livestock and large animal information on wildfire preparedness.

Tips For Home Landscaping In Dry Conditions

Work in the mornings or late evenings to avoid the hottest parts of the day, and postpone your work when the weather calls for low humidity or high wind
Keep a water hose or bucket or fire extinguisher on hand
Use a nylon or plastic weed whacker line instead of metal
Be careful not to set a hot tool down on dry grass or leaves
Allow power engines to cool before refueling, and make sure the hot exhaust is kept away from dry grasses, weeds, and shrubs - only use such equipment that’s in good repair and has spark arresters installed. when applicable
Stay home for an hour after finishing your work - this way you’ll be around to notice if anything begins to smolder and smoke
If conditions are right for outdoor burning, keep your debris piles small and have a hose ready should your fire escape

Campfire Safety

If your fire escapes, you will be responsible for paying for fire suppression personnel and equipment, as required by state law.

Campfires are allowed only when a campfire burn restriction is not in place
Campfires are permitted on DNR-managed lands only in approved fire pits
Ensure there is a shovel and buckets of water close by
Never walk away from a smoldering campfire.
Put the fire out cold before leaving - if it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave

Additional Prevention Tips

Be sure recreation vehicles have operating spark arrestors
Do not park vehicles in dry, grassy areas as residual heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass
Know the current wildfire risk in your county, destination, or area you may be working in
Note: It's always illegal to light fireworks or use incendiary ammunition or exploding targets on DNR-protected lands
Learn more from our friend Smokey Bear

The Emergency Management Daily Briefing is produced Monday through Friday unless an update is required for an incident or event over a weekend or holiday.

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