Between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass stands a wide swath of trees – brown on one side, green on the other. Karin Ripley, a forest health scientist with the Washington Department of Natural Resources calls it “red belt.” It’s the result of cold, dry east winds from last winter essentially flash freezing the foliage on coniferous trees.
“Those needles are very flammable. They’re high on the trees, suspended in the air, exposed to more dry air this spring,” said Ripley, who helps reduce the risk from fuels on the forest. Dead foliage is fuel to a fire.
Elsewhere she points out a dead Douglas fir. It’s now red needles still mostly intact, a sure sign that this tree was killed by last summer’s Washington drought.
2016 is already proving to be a wildcard year for wildfire. After a record low snow pack in the winter of 2014-15, snow pack levels returned to normal over this most recent winter. However, they largely melted away at a record rate during April and early May with temperatures into the 80s. In many places in the eastern half of the state, soil moistures have plummeted. On the west side they are about normal, but 80 degree temperatures have returned as May gives way to June.
Already the state has seen significant wildfires on both sides of the Cascades. Last weekend there was a wildfire in Grant County, seen from the Gorge Amphitheater. Early May saw fires near Oso and Gold Bar.
From King5.com: https://www.king5.com/news/local/wildfires/dead-foliage-raises-wildfire-concerns/225387486