Out of 39 counties with wildfire data, these are the counties with the highest smoke exposure risk.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Counties ranked | 39 |
| Avg smoke risk (top 100) | 30/100 |
| Total county fires 5yr (top 100) | 2,471 |
Top 39 Counties
| Rank | County | State | Smoke Risk | County Fires (5yr) | ZIP Codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okanogan | Washington | 53/100 | 126 | 20 |
| 2 | Chelan | Washington | 53/100 | 86 | 13 |
| 3 | Yakima | Washington | 52/100 | 105 | 26 |
| 4 | Kittitas | Washington | 47/100 | 65 | 10 |
| 5 | Ferry | Washington | 43/100 | 126 | 6 |
| 6 | Klickitat | Washington | 43/100 | 47 | 15 |
| 7 | Spokane | Washington | 40/100 | 331 | 51 |
| 8 | Grant | Washington | 40/100 | 128 | 16 |
| 9 | Douglas | Washington | 40/100 | 44 | 7 |
| 10 | Stevens | Washington | 39/100 | 218 | 20 |
| 11 | Lincoln | Washington | 38/100 | 331 | 12 |
| 12 | Benton | Washington | 37/100 | 47 | 8 |
| 13 | Adams | Washington | 36/100 | 51 | 6 |
| 14 | Asotin | Washington | 36/100 | 16 | 3 |
| 15 | Columbia | Washington | 36/100 | 15 | 2 |
| 16 | Walla Walla | Washington | 35/100 | 17 | 9 |
| 17 | Pend Oreille | Washington | 34/100 | 75 | 7 |
| 18 | Franklin | Washington | 34/100 | 33 | 6 |
| 19 | Garfield | Washington | 34/100 | 6 | 1 |
| 20 | Whitman | Washington | 33/100 | 11 | 24 |
| 21 | Skamania | Washington | 30/100 | 22 | 5 |
| 22 | Clark | Washington | 26/100 | 65 | 24 |
| 23 | Mason | Washington | 23/100 | 12 | 9 |
| 24 | Lewis | Washington | 22/100 | 48 | 22 |
| 25 | Wahkiakum | Washington | 21/100 | 2 | 3 |
| 26 | King | Washington | 20/100 | 53 | 122 |
| 27 | Snohomish | Washington | 20/100 | 53 | 34 |
| 28 | Pierce | Washington | 20/100 | 48 | 85 |
| 29 | Skagit | Washington | 20/100 | 37 | 16 |
| 30 | Kitsap | Washington | 20/100 | 21 | 21 |
| 31 | Jefferson | Washington | 18/100 | 23 | 7 |
| 32 | Cowlitz | Washington | 18/100 | 13 | 9 |
| 33 | Thurston | Washington | 18/100 | 6 | 21 |
| 34 | Clallam | Washington | 17/100 | 23 | 15 |
| 35 | Pacific | Washington | 17/100 | 4 | 15 |
| 36 | Grays Harbor | Washington | 15/100 | 17 | 22 |
| 37 | Island | Washington | 14/100 | 53 | 9 |
| 38 | Whatcom | Washington | 14/100 | 40 | 16 |
| 39 | San Juan | Washington | 10/100 | 53 | 9 |
Methodology
County rankings for Washington based on average smoke risk score and fire frequency.
Data sources: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), EPA AirNow. Last updated: 2026-06-04.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is wildfire smoke risk calculated?
Smoke risk scores (0-100) combine multiple factors: proximity to recent wildfires, county fire frequency over the past 5 years, historical smoke days, and geographic position relative to typical fire corridors. Higher scores indicate greater smoke exposure risk during fire season.
How can I protect myself from wildfire smoke?
Use a HEPA air purifier indoors, wear N95 or KN95 masks outdoors during smoke events, seal windows and doors, and monitor AirNow.gov for real-time air quality. Create a clean room in your home with the purifier running and windows sealed.