Earlier this summer, I had the joy and privilege of backpacking the Lake Chelan Lakeshore trail. The days were unseasonably hot and dry, making our afternoon dips in the freezing lake water even more refreshing. The perfect start to the summer!

After three nights on the trail, our group rolled into the tiny town of Stehekin at the north end of the lake. One of the first questions we were asked was: “Did you see the fire?” What we didn’t realize was that the day we got off the trail, a wildfire had started just a few miles up the lake, at the very trailhead we started hiking earlier that week. For a few days, we could ignore the fire, instead gorging ourselves on pastries from Stehekin Pastry Company and wandering up and down the Stehekin River. But on the ferry ride out, we got our first sense of the extent of the fire as we saw three different helicopters working to draw water from the lake and drop on the growing embers.

North Cascades and is only 15% contained. This past week, Stehekin, a boat-in only community of less than 80 year-round residents, was hit with a level 3 evacuation notice. The Pioneer Fire is one of 10 active wildfires burning across Washington state and these fires are joined by even more intense blazes raging across Oregon, California, and Canada this summer.

The impacts of these fires are felt across Washington state. Rural communities are facing evacuation orders while folks all over the state are facing exposure to dangerous levels of smoke and air pollution. The status quo isn’t working for anybody. Climate change has exacerbated wildfire conditions, making fires more frequent and more powerful than when I was growing up.

Futurewise is proud to be organizing with folks like you on the climate policy that protects our communities, promotes resiliency and draws down our carbon emissions. With your help, we passed HB 1181 which will ensure that EVERY city and town in Washington is adopting a plan to protect their communities from wildfires. HB 1181 is also part of a comprehensive climate strategy to reduce our emissions by ensuring that we’re promoting transit-oriented development that gets people walking, biking and taking transit instead of driving.

The most important thing you can do this fall to take action on climate change is volunteer on the No on I-2117 campaign. Futurewise is part of a coalition of over 350 businesses, nonprofits, Tribal nations, and labor unions fighting to protect funding for climate priorities, like wildfire protection. If we’re going to defeat this billionaire backed initiative, we’re going to need everyone we can get! Sign up to volunteer here.

Unfortunately, smoky skies are going to be part of our August reality for the foreseeable future. But they don’t need to be a permanent fixture in the decades to come. I hope you’ll join Futurewise in taking action for the climate this fall.