{{Short description|Wildfire season in Washington, United States}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox wildfire | title = 2012 Washington wildfires | image = 2012-Sept-19 NASA Washington smoke.jpg | caption = Satellite image of fires on September 19 | reference = <ref name=nifc>{{cite web|title=2012 year-end fire statistics|url=http://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/intelligence/2012_statssumm/fires_acres.pdf|website=National Interagency Fire Center|accessdate=September 3, 2015|archive-date=June 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628035338/https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/intelligence/2012_statssumm/fires_acres.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | total_area = {{convert|259,526|acre|km2|0}} | total_fires = 1,342 | buildings = | fatalities = | injuries = | is_season = yes | year = 2012 | season_name = Washington wildfires }} The '''2012 Washington wildfires''' were a series of 1,342 wildfires that burned {{convert|259,526|acre|km2|0}} over the course of 2012.<ref name=nifc/> The fires primarily occurred in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests during September and October 2012.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} A severe lightning storm on September 8 caused hundreds of fires across the east side of Cascade Range. Smoke caused hazardous air quality conditions in the cities of Ellensburg and Wenatchee,<ref name=geranios/> and was noticeable in Seattle. The cost of fighting the largest four fires was estimated to be $67.5 million.<ref name=catchpole/>
==Taylor Bridge Fire==
The first major wildfire in Washington during the 2012 season started on August 13 east of Cle Elum between Interstate 90 and U.S. Route 97 in Kittitas County. The fire was fully contained on August 28 after burning {{convert|23500|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=3}} acres and destroying 61 homes. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is suspected to be construction work.<ref name=catchpole/> thumb|Canyon Fire part of Wenatchee Complex Fire 2012, above the city of Wenatchee Washington ==September 8 lightning-strike fires==
*Okanogan Complex<ref name=inciweb_okanogan/> – {{convert|6169|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Three fires in the lower Methow River valley, on either side of State Route 153 in Okanogan County. *Wenatchee Complex<ref name=inciweb_wenatchee/> – {{convert|56291|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. The largest fires were south of U.S. Route 2 near the city of Wenatchee mainly in Chelan County. Other fires in the complex were in the upper Entiat and Wenatchee River drainages. **Byrd Fire – {{convert|14119|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}} **Canyon Fire – {{convert|7557|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Located less than a mile west of the city of Wenatchee in Number 1 and Number 2 canyons. **Cashmere Fire – {{convert|2651|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Located south of Icicle Creek extending into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. **Peavine Canyon Fire – {{convert|19467|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. The Peavine Canyon Fire grew to become contiguous with the Table Mountain Fire to the south. **Poison Canyon Fire – {{convert|5910|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}} *Table Mountain Fire<ref name=inciweb_table/> – {{convert|42312|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Located east of U.S. Route 97 near Blewett Pass in Kittitas County, the Table Mountain Fire threatened homes and historic structures near Liberty, Washington. The fire grew to become contiguous with the Peavine Canyon Fire to the north. *Yakima Complex<ref name=inciweb_yakima/> – {{convert|2300|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=2}}. Approximately 75 small fires in Kittitas and Yakima counties. The Wild Rose Fire was the largest and is located north of U.S. Route 12 and east of Rimrock Lake. *Cascade Creek Fire<ref name=inciweb_cascade/> – {{convert|20038|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Located on the south and west slopes of Mount Adams in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, including part of the Mount Adams Wilderness. Skamania and Yakima counties.
==Other fires==
*Goat Fire<ref name=inciweb_goat/> – {{convert|7378|acre|sqmi km2|sigfig=4}}. Human-caused fire began on September 16, located south of State Route 153 and west of U.S. Route 97 in Okanogan County.
==References== {{Reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=geranios>{{cite news| date=September 22, 2012| title=Heat, winds, low moisture make Wash. fires grow| first=Nicholas K.| last=Geranios| newspaper=Seattle Times| url=http://seattletimes.com/text/2019221019.html| accessdate=October 8, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_okanogan>{{cite web |title=Okanogan Complex |publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System |date=October 1, 2012 |url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3261/ |archivedate=September 1, 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901041334/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3261/ }}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_wenatchee>{{cite web |title=Wenatchee Complex |publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System |date=October 8, 2012 |url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3258/ |archivedate=September 17, 2012 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917023150/http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3258/ }}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_table>{{cite web |title=Table Mountain Fire |publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System |date=October 7, 2012 |url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3269/ |archivedate=September 21, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921203519/http://inciweb.org/incident/3269 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_yakima>{{cite web |title=Yakima Complex |publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System |date=September 24, 2012 |url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3256/ |archivedate=October 27, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027091821/http://inciweb.org/incident/3256 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_cascade>{{cite web| title=Cascade Creek Fire| publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System| date=October 7, 2012| url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3249/}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
<ref name=inciweb_goat>{{cite web |title=Goat Fire |publisher=InciWeb: Incident Information System |date=September 28, 2012 |url=http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3277/ |archivedate=September 28, 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928054150/http://www.inciweb.org/incident/3277/ |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>
<ref name=catchpole>{{cite news |title= Big Central Washington fires push up firefighting tab |first= Dan |last= Catchpole |url= http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019711485_firecost19m.html |newspaper= Seattle Times |date= November 18, 2012 |accessdate= November 19, 2012}}</ref>
}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121006194105/http://www.inciweb.org/state/49/ InciWeb information for Washington state] {{Washington wildfires}}
Category:Wildfires in Washington (state) by year Washington (state) wildfires wildfires