Looking to escape the wildfires in Oregon (Oak Harbor, Port Angeles: motels, movies)

[Willamette City]

We have several large fires in the eastern Willamette valley. The cedar Creek fire has been burning for over a month about 8 miles east of Oakridge. We get plenty of smoky days. As long as it's dry and hot, we will continue to see fire. We need cooler temps and some rain.

[Ruth4Truth]

What do you require, OP? There are small towns in less fire-prone areas. Do you need a major urban area for work? I guess not, if you chose Grants Pass originally, but you're asking about Olympia, so that threw me off.

It's really too bad about the southern OR counties. Grants Pass is a beautiful area, and a nice little town. The future is unpredictable for the Willamette Valley, or anywhere, really. Astoria, OR is a nice town and gets more rain than elsewhere in OR in the winters through much of spring. Gets ocean breezes, too, being at the mouth of the Columbia. Can get quite windy, actually. Not much of a homeless problem AFAIK.

You could also look at Bellingham, the eastern side of Puget Sound, like Bremerton, Silverdale, or even the Olympic Peninsula. Still, fire smoke from Canada, including from Vancouver Island blowing into the Oly Peninsula, can sometimes be a problem. I sometimes wish we could turn the clock back 20-30 years, so we could enjoy these areas without the fire issue.

[tsigon]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

What do you require, OP? There are small towns in less fire-prone areas. Do you need a major urban area for work? I guess not, if you chose Grants Pass originally, but you're asking about Olympia, so that threw me off.

It's really too bad about the southern OR counties. Grants Pass is a beautiful area, and a nice little town. The future is unpredictable for the Willamette Valley, or anywhere, really. Astoria, OR is a nice town and gets more rain than elsewhere in OR in the winters through much of spring. Gets ocean breezes, too, being at the mouth of the Columbia. Can get quite windy, actually. Not much of a homeless problem AFAIK.

You could also look at Bellingham, the eastern side of Puget Sound, like Bremerton, Silverdale, or even the Olympic Peninsula. Still, fire smoke from Canada, including from Vancouver Island blowing into the Oly Peninsula, can sometimes be a problem.

Yes I should have specified a bit more. I am looking for small to medium sized towns. Grants Pass is actually perfect and if not for the fires I would remain here. It's really amazing down here when there are no fires. I have a small bit of land here where I grow a garden and so would be looking to do the same wherever I move to next and so will buy some land outside of town (perhaps 30 mins out). I plan to work in town (medical field) hence the desire to avoid a commute of >30 mins.

[jabogitlu]

Whidbey Island might be a great suggestion for you. Relatively minimal wildfire/smoke risk. Mild winters, but it is an island in the Puget Sound so there is a typical amount of PNW-style winter. Oak Harbor is the main town there, but other small villages (Coupeville) are easily commutable to Oak Harbor too.

A second recommendation: Port Angeles is out on the Olympic Peninsula and is well known as a retiree spot due to its uniquely warm weather for this area.

Third: Port Townsend is a weird, nice little town with a medical center of some sorts (according to Google).

[tsigon]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Whidbey Island might be a great suggestion for you. Relatively minimal wildfire/smoke risk. Mild winters, but it is an island in the Puget Sound so there is a typical amount of PNW-style winter. Oak Harbor is the main town there, but other small villages (Coupeville) are easily commutable to Oak Harbor too.

A second recommendation: Port Angeles is out on the Olympic Peninsula and is well known as a retiree spot due to its uniquely warm weather for this area.

Third: Port Townsend is a weird, nice little town with a medical center of some sorts (according to Google).

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I shall look into them

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by tsigon

Thank you very much for the suggestions. I shall look into them

Port Townsend has experienced quite a bit of growth in the last 6 years or so. The local hospital was looking to hire another doctor, the last I heard, which was a few years ago. Farther west from there, Sequim--high percentage of retirees, and Port Angeles may need an MD or a specialist, or med tech of some sort, you can check. You can check the hospital near Astoria, too. Some of these more isolated locations have trouble retaining medical people, so if you're into small towns, they may be happy to have you. The patients certainly would.

Some locals in Port T and Port A have complained about the homeless there, here on this forum, but I've never noticed anything when I've been there.Port Townsend is a town of festivals: their weekend special event season begins in mid-spring and goes through early October. Port Angeles is considering doing something similar, to spur economic growth through tourism. Both towns have wood products mills; Port T's is the worst, a pulp mill. Most of the time it's not noticeable, but when the wind shifts--watch out! It can be insufferable for the few days it lasts, so people say. Other than that, the town is charming, and stays cool during heat waves.

That part of the Oly Peninsula is great for farming. You might even be able to score an old farmhouse on a large lot with plenty of room to grow your own food.

Caveat: the air force base on Whidbey sends Growler jets over the waters and all the way out to the west end of the Peninsula for training exercises regularly. Decibel level is high. There have been complaints, so they keep more to flying over water than over populated areas, but they're still noisy.

Another suggestion: Stanwood and nearby Camano Island (they're connected by a bridge) could work. No pulp/paper mills, and the Growlers are farther away. From Stanwood you could drive to Mt. Vernon easily, if you found work there; that would be an option, too.


Poulsbo on the Kitsap Peninsula across the water from Seattle, is another possibility people enjoy. There are enough small towns in that area, including a navy base, that there would be more employment options for you. Poulsbo is another farming area where you could get an old farmhouse with a little land or large lot. It was settled by Norwegians, so the Norwegian theme is big there. There are ferries to Seattle from nearby Bremerton.


BTW, all the towns suggested here are much smaller than Grants Pass, if it matters. If you like to have more people around, the Poulsbo/Bremertn/Silverdale area might be best for you.

[rkcarguy]

We unfortunately have not escaped the smoke in several years here in NW WA.(I'm in Bellingham). Last year I thought we'd sneak by, but about mid August it came rolling in again. Thought we might this year, but just today we have some Northeast outflow bringing in smoke from Canada and north cascades fires ugh. So far its far less than prior years though. Canada doesn't require that logging operations deal with their "slash" like WA does, so they seem to have more fires, and its typically smoke from Oregon and California or smoke from Canada this time of the year we can't really seem to escape it. Its probably less than Medford if one were to look at the air quality history, we have touched the 300's several times and have had ash falling here, but I did see that several areas in Norcal and S. Oregon were over 400 at the same time. (air quality shows extremely unhealthy with a dead face emoji.)
The islands and peninsula seem to have less as the breeze is typically constant inland from the water, but unfortunately it reverts when its hot/hotter inland. WA's legislature passed a bunch of acts that really kneecapped our police, so homelessness and crime has exploded and the jails are full, so research carefully. Seeing repeat crime that would have put people in jail for years not long ago, now they are out on bail the next day with a "promise to appear".

[StealthRabbit]

Due to prevailing winds, Rarely get wildfire smoke in Vancouver, WA or lower Columbia River, but the weather and vegetation density is very different than southern Oregon. You may find the 'damp-cold' to be as bad as the NE winters. Really depends on the person and especially their winter activities. And availability to tweak their responsibilities to suit or fit with the weather. SWWA seldom has long cold spells, and the bitter east winter winds are very mild compared to 20+ yrs ago. More frequent of late is 'pineapple express' SW winds sweeping warm moist air into region.

For less wild fire smoke, probably the Olympic Peninsula, or north of Mt Vernon, WA would be closer to the jet stream, and less likely for eastern smoke, EXCEPT for inversions, which occasional happen everywhere. Some years (such as last) Portland/ Vancouver WA had a week of significant smoke.

And... One of the most vigorous fires in USA history was through SWWA. (Yacolt Burn, 1902, 238,000 acres in 38 hrs. (= About 2 months of a fierce fire in CA and Rocky Mtns.). Chances are very good of that happening again. Forests understory is very dense in SWWA. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yacolt_Burn
Sept is a very risky wildfire month. Good time to head the NE USA / Hudson Bay / Newfoundland ) Maritime Provinces.


Homeless/ transients/ crime / filth is not being curtailed in the PNW, so it will get worse before a crisis leads to corrective measures (which are already too late). Probably will only be better in a foreign country that will have tight controls over it's entire populace (+/-).

Consider checking out Sequim, WA. Drier, but gray in winter. Popular retiree area, and quite convenient to Victoria, BC / Vancouver Island. It has nearby mtns and is on the Puget Sound, so plenty of water access. It's worth a trip anyway, stay at Lake Quinalt or similar. Lake Crescent is also a nice place to visit. We've often stayed at Ft Worden (Port Townsend) when catching ferries to BC or San Juans. (Another worthwhile place to search for your spot).

Let us know your employment, hobbies, interests, needs for access to shopping, medical, airports, or colleges. And we can better advise you.

[Pomelo]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

EXCEPT for inversions, which occasional happen everywhere. Some years (such as last) Portland/ Vancouver WA had a week of significant smoke.

I thought this was in 2020. I do not recall any smoke in 2021.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Pomelo

I thought this was in 2020. I do not recall any smoke in 2021.

I don't recall, I was only at my PNW domicile 9 days last year. I just got a call from tenants in WA regarding wildfire smoke.

But... It happens. I got a whift of wildfire smoke smell last evening in the west gorge. Can happen with amount of large fires in western USA. Mt St Helens ash made the 22,000 mile trip around the globe.