The State Is on Fire: Or it certainly seems that way. There are 20 large active wildfires burning in Washington State right now, mostly in the eastern part. The air quality in Spokane has reached unhealthy levels.

New #wawildfire Indian Trail Fire 15-20 acres burned, 15+ structures threatened http://t.co/XT8rTERPFY #KXLY pic.twitter.com/Onn9B3HW6l
— #kxly 4 News (@kxly4news) August 12, 2015

Three Firefighters Died Yesterday: And three or four others were injured while battling a wildfire near the town of Twisp, about four hours northeast of Seattle. “The sheriff said the wind suddenly shifted and the firefighters became trapped as the Twisp River Fire was turned back on them,” reports Q13 Fox.

No Bodies Found in the Wreckage of the Bremerton Hotel That Exploded on Tuesday: Two people were initially unaccounted for, but it’s not clear they were in their rooms at the time of the explosion, reports the Seattle Times. However, one man remains in critical condition. The cause of the blast is still unknown, although investigators are focusing on a damaged gas meter.

Seattle Breaks Heat Record: KOMO notes that in 2015 thus far, Seattle has had more minutes above 80 degrees than any time since 2006. We’ve already broken the record for most 90-degree minutes in a year and hottest June and July on record, and are poised to break the record for the hottest summer.

City Gets $3.48 Million from Slumlords: Hugh and Martha Sisley, who the city sued because dozens of their properties in the Roosevelt neighborhood had housing code violations (including lack of heat and broken toilets and windows), finally paid the city after years of fighting the penalties, according to a press release put out by the city attorney’s office.

Seattle Area Jobless Rate Drops to 3.7 Percent: That’s the lowest it’s been since 2007. Reports the Seattle Times, “Job gains came primarily in the financial activities, retail trade, and leisure and hospitality industries. Wholesale trade, government, and education and health services lost the most jobs in July.”

School Board Delays Vote on Suspensions: Yesterday, the Seattle School Board was supposed to vote on whether to declare a moratorium on suspensions for all students in preschool through fifth grade for the upcoming school year. That vote has now been delayed until September 23. According to the district, students of color, English-language learners, and special-ed students are suspended at higher rates than their white peers.

Cascadia Subduction Zone Isn’t as Quiet as Once Thought: A monitoring program part of the National Science Foundation’s Cascadia Initiative has found that there are constant small earthquakes off the coast that don’t register on any land-based instruments, reports the Seattle Times. “Though the subduction zone can unleash magnitude-9 megaquakes and tsunamis, there’s no reason to think the small tremors are unusual or precursors to something bigger, seismologists say.”

The Average American Throws Away 68 Pounds of Clothing Per Year: Where does it all end up? The New Republic examines the world of rag yards, where clothing you donate to charity organizations often shows up (sold at about 25 cents per pound), and where immigrant workers earning minimum wage sort through huge piles that are then recycled, shipped to the developing world, or sold to vintage and consignment shops.

Josh Duggar Had an Ashley Madison Account: Because of course he did. The conservative reality TV star and former executive director of the Family Research Council (or someone with access to his credit card) paid nearly $1,000 for two accounts that would allow him to have extramarital affairs. Gawker has all the sordid details on what exactly he was looking for.

Jimmy Carter Has Melanoma on His Brain: He's beginning radiation treatment today, reports the New York Times.

Giant Spider Season Is About to Start in Seattle: I’m taking deep breaths. At least we can be glad that our giant house spiders can’t fly.