motive as old as eden

my wife: fuck you you say that every time it's a little foggy outside. you haven't even played the games. i hate you so much

there’s sixteen Colorado counties that their most searched was “wolf furry”, plus thirty-odd counties (not counting either Arapahoe or any of the ones marked here as “Insufficient Data”) which may well have had plenty of searches for “wolf furry”, just fewer than for whatever they’re labeled here

and “skunk furry” searches in Arapahoe County outnumbered “wolf furry” searches in the entire state of Colorado

1. Get your news from reputable sources that don't sensationalize. So no news, not even NPR. Instead, as you're in Washington, check this site for info:

They have a blog which calmly lays out what's happening, and they also have a tab for current fire & air quality conditions and forecasts. Between that and Watch Duty, you will have all the information you need.

2. Do what you need to do to stay healthy during wildfire smoke events: get yourself some kn95s or n95s or even a p100 if you're very sensitive. Wear those while outside. Either buy a good air filter rated for wildfire smoke, or do one of the box fan + furnace filter(s) set ups (Corsi-Rosenthal is top tier, others are cheaper and easier in the near term), using filters rated for wildfire smoke. Run it 24/7 until air quality is back to normal.

(For people not in Seattle/well-resourced urban areas around Puget Sound, skip to step 6 and then come back here)

3. Understand that regular fire is a natural and healthy part of many ecosystems around here, though what we're seeing is not. This is the result of 100 years of fire suppression of all types, which lead to a build up of burnable material, leading to bigger, hotter, more intense fires (and that's before the impacts of climate change). The fire itself isn't bad, but it is inevitable. It's better to do prescribed burns intentionally and safely. This is a brief explanation:

4. This talks about the westside prairie ecosystem, which is ecosystem dominated by Garry Oaks, a keystone tree species that is fire-adapted, and used to cover much of the I-5 corridor:

These prairies have pretty much disappeared because of fire suppression, of both natural fires and intentional cultural fires by the native peoples of this area.

5. Realistically, it's very, very unlikely that you'll ever have to evacuate Seattle of all places due to wildfires. West side wildfires are not nearly what east side fires are, and they're much less common:

The geography, ecosystems, and resources of the two sides of the state are very, very different. Seattle itself is surrounded by water, meaning those planes can just dip into the Sound right there and almost immediately drop their load. All those multi-lane highways act as fire breaks, too. Seattle also has a lot of money and resources. In short, Seattle is the last place you need to worry about burning.

6. That said, you could do the level of preparedness suggested by the government in general:

Knowing what you would do and having a plan can really help with anxiety.

7. Do what you can to help those directly impacted by wildfires. Donate to food banks, local non-profits, etc. Doing something about it tells your brain that you can do something, that you're not helpless. You can have an impact, you can help people who have been harmed by these fires.

8. Spread the word about the effects of total fire suppression and the need for prescribed fires. Also look into fire wise landscaping, if applicable. Or holler at your local cities to get on that. Some resources on that matter:

https://extension.wsu.edu/pierce/mg-home/gardening-resources/fire-wise-tip-sheet/

https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pnw-590-fire-resistant-plants-home-landscapes