Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week's broiling temperatures are raising the risk of wildfires. The heat is also stressing wheat farmers in the Northwest. Correspondent Anna King reports.

Idaho has had a bit more rain but most of the Northwest is really dry.

That means fires could get out of control this week. That's because hot air rises and can carry embers up on the wind and start fires elsewhere.

Terry Marcha is with Northwest Interagency Coordination Center based in Portland.

He's expecting thunderstorms later this week. And he says he's especially concerned about areas west of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon.

Terry Marcha: “I don't know if I've ever seen Western Washington any drier than it is right now. That's why we are particularly worried about that area.”

The hot weather is also a concern for wheat farmers. A heat wave with no rain can make wheat plants develop rapidly and have too much protein. That makes for cookies and cakes that don't rise.

Meanwhile the heat is running up electricity bills across the Northwest.

Columbia River dam managers have been holding back water at Grand Coulee and other dams so they can churn out more power.

But, the Bonneville Power Administration says customers are using less power this July than at the same time three years ago...because of the down economy.