Day 328: The Wildcat Fire is just east of Mount Rainier National Park's eastern boundary (Park is the tan area on the map), but that does not mean it is not affecting me. Although the AQI is still in the "moderate" range where I live, I can smell and taste the smoke. The background photo here should have a Mountain in it. I cannot see even a vague outline. And yes, there have been days when past fires in the area have rendered it significantly worse, to the point even that I could barely see the line of brush in the foreground of the image, when you're having trouble breathing, the numbers really don't count for much. Wildcat started as a lightning strike and seemed manageable at first. Then wind came up and spread it to 5542 acres yesterday. More lightning is in the forecast over the next several days, and although there will be some precipitation, it will be minor. The chance of new fires is high.
