Hot and hazy: Smoke from B.C. fires will hang around Seattle

Downtown Seattle sits under a thick layer of smoke from British Columbia wildfires, as seen from Alki, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Downtown Seattle sits under a thick layer of smoke from British Columbia wildfires, as seen from Alki, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. Photo: DANIEL DEMAY Photo: DANIEL DEMAY Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close Hot and hazy: Smoke from B.C. fires will hang around Seattle 1 / 24 Back to Gallery

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire, they say.

Not quite, in the case of Seattle's dose of campfire-scented haze.

The smoke that enveloped the region (almost entirely except for the upper reaches of the Cascades and the Olympics) didn't come from any fires in Seattle or even in Washington state. Instead, north winds carried smoke south from a string of wildfires burning in British Columbia.

And thanks to a strong high pressure system "anchored" over Washington, the smoke isn't likely to be carried off by other winds in the next few days, according to a Washington Smoke Information report.

That said, in a Thursday forecast, the National Weather Service predicted that smoke would clear out late Friday.

RELATED: Wildfire growing near Darrington, smoke from BC headed south

Seattle's air quality was unhealthy Thursday morning, and similar conditions were reported across the state, according to the state Department of Ecology's Air Quality Monitoring Network.

Flights bound for Sea-Tac on Thursday morning were delayed more than an hour due to low visibility from the smoke, according to an FAA status report.

Visibility at Sea-Tac was down to three miles at mid-afternoon, which was just a prelude to the official high temperature of 91 degrees.

The NWS said Tuesday night that smoke might reduce high temperatures by a few degrees from what had been forecast earlier in the week.

The smoke, it said, should reduce visibilities to three to five miles and perhaps as low as two miles in lower valleys. Ventilation would be worse late at night and in the mornings.

Meanwhile, excessive heat warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS) were in effect for much of the Puget Sound Region, as temperatures were expected to be in the 90s through Friday.

On Saturday, the high will dip to 86 degrees, and down to 82 on Sunday.

RELATED: Weather service: Seattle could see hottest day since 2009

Though Seattle's smoky haze came largely from the B.C. fires, several wildfires were burning Wednesday morning in Washington, including one in Snohomish County, near Darrington. That fire, dubbed the Suiattle Fire, remained at an estimated 180 acres Wednesday morning but had roughly 300 firefighters involved, where more like 70 had been on site Tuesday. The fire was zero percent contained Wednesday, said Roland Emetaz, a public information officer with the fire incident command.

The fire had been moving east Tuesday -- away from Darrington and any homes or other structures -- but the smoke from the Suiattle Fire was lingering in the area, putting Darrington air quality at unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Farther off, the Diamond Creek fire burning in the Okanogan/Wenatchee National Forest was measured at nearly 7,000 acres and put air quality in Okanogan at hazardous.

People sensitive to smoke should stay inside in air-conditioned spaces and avoid spending time outside as long as smoke remains in the area. The NWS issued several reminders about staying hydrated and watching for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

The city has a list of cooling centers that will be open to the public during excessive heat and many of the places are air conditioned so could double as places to escape the smoke.

And head over to the NWS page here to see tips about staying safe in the heat.

Daniel DeMay covers Seattle culture, city hall, and transportation for seattlepi.com. He can be reached at 206-448-8362 or danieldemay@seattlepi.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Daniel_DeMay.