Actually, our rain forest is pretty darn dry, after no significant rain for over 2 months! It's burning in a lot of places. Then there is the smoke (once again moving into the Portland, OR area).... And the weather forecasters are not optimistic about any measurable rain in the near future.

These conditions are actually quite normal for the PNW. We always have--and enjoy--a dry season of several months. We usually do have at least some fire bans during the dry season. What's different this year is, first, the very wet spring that stimulated growth of now-tinder-dry grass and brush and second, an unusual number of dry lightning storms in late August and early September.