Orange skies, falling ash, and destroyed homes rattle Washington as wildfire spreads

In Washington, one resident's view of wildfire season came down to three unsettling details: ash raining down from above, a campfire smell in the air, and an orange-colored sky.

Here's what to know

In the now-viral TikTok video, a Washington resident of the Tri-Cities area explained that "It's raining ash in Tri-Cities, WA."

The man also said the "Prosper Mountain area is currently in a level 3 evacuation zone right now. Prayers to the families who are over there."

@leebotracks Don't remember wildfires ever being this intense.. #tricitieswa #ash #wildfires #sad #evacuate ♬ ominous (slowed + reverb) - insensible

He also explained that "we can definitely smell it and we can feel the ash falling down from the sky," and noted in the clip's caption that "[I] don't remember wildfires ever being this intense." 

Commenters shared more on-the-ground details. 

One wrote, "This was from Prosser- more pics in replies. I personally know of 3 houses that were destroyed." A second user wrote, "I just cleaned a bunch of ash out of my dog's water bowl."

Another wrote, "It hasn't always been like this. I remember summers where we didn't get smoke so thick [that] it looks like fog." One alarming comment read, "In Kennewick, keep seeing literally ash falling on me. I was wondering how close the fire was."

More background

Ashfall, evacuation warnings, and reports of destroyed homes can quickly turn a distant hazard into a personal crisis.

One commenter wrote, "While walking my dog I smelled the intense smoke and saw the black ash falling on my blouse. We had to go back home."

Worsening extreme weather disasters endanger lives and livelihoods in multiple ways. Fast-moving fires can force evacuations and destroy homes, while smoke can threaten public health, especially for children, older adults, and people with asthma or other lung conditions.

Community safety also suffers when roads, power, and emergency services are strained, and economic stability can take a hit when families lose property, miss work, or face expensive cleanup and recovery.

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