Counties with Highest Wildfire Smoke Risk in Washing...

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.