A wildfire in Walla Walla County has swept through 1,500 acres, prompting an immediate evacuation order. Seattle boasts World Cup transportation and airport records, but local businesses and hotels complain about uneven revenue. The city is also kicking off the playoffs: Belgium and Senegal will face off on July 1.
Walla Walla County wildfire: 1,500 acres burning and an order to “Leave immediately”
On Monday morning, a fast-moving wildfire broke out in Walla Walla County, Washington, and was named the Lambdin Fire. The blaze covered roughly 1,500 acres of land southeast of Tri-Cities, forcing local authorities to call for emergency evacuations and close key roadways. According to FOX 13 Seattle, the fire began in the morning near State Route 12 around the intersection of Walla Walla. By 8:30 p.m., the threat level was raised to Level 3, the most stringent — “Go Now” — meaning immediate evacuation for residents of several areas: the Pierce-County RV Park in Green Valley and Cameo Heights, as well as along Ash Hollow, North Johnson, and other roads. In addition, homes were placed under Level 2 “Be Ready” for evacuation about two miles east of Tachet, up to Highway 124. The fire is moving south from Walla Walla Junction toward the Juniper Canyon, complicating the work of fire services.
For those who have left their homes, the Red Cross has opened evacuation centers: at Tachet School (90 Champion Street) and at the Prescott City Hall building (202 W. First Street). All traffic on US 12 is fully closed between Walla Walla Junction and Tachet in both directions, and several smaller roads are also shut: Nine Mile, Byrnes, Ash Hollow, and Tachet North. Residents are strongly urged to avoid the fire area, and to monitor evacuation level updates on the Walla Walla Emergency Management Facebook page. The fire is not yet contained, and the threat remains — in these conditions, it’s important to understand the difference between threat levels: Level 3 means that delay can be deadly, while Level 2 warns that residents should be ready to leave their homes at any moment. The incident is a reminder of how high fire risk can be in dry weather and how quickly disasters can disrupt everyday life.
Seattle touts World Cup records despite uneven gains
The World Cup soccer tournament in Seattle has brought the city both triumphant milestones and disappointments for certain neighborhoods. Since the first match on June 15 at Lumen Field, renamed Seattle Stadium for the duration of the event, seven teams have played here, including the United States national team. Two more matches are ahead: Belgium vs. Senegal and an as-yet-unknown Round of 16 match. At a press conference on Monday, local officials boasted historic figures: a record ridership on Sound Transit’s light rail system and record busy days at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Some downtown business owners reported a surge in sales that even outpaced revenues from Taylor Swift concerts in 2023. “The best is still ahead,” said Governor Bob Ferguson, especially if the U.S. team returns to Seattle for playoff matches after beating Bosnia in San Francisco.
But behind the impressive statistics are uneven results. Expectations for the Central Business District (CID) and Little Saigon didn’t pan out — although overall foot traffic rose by 10%, areas away from the stadium didn’t see an influx of visitors. “The economic benefits were distributed unevenly,” CID executive director Thuyên Thành acknowledged. Hotels also saw “peaks and valleys.” Craig Shafer, owner of the luxury hotels Hotel Ändra and Inn at the Market, told The Seattle Times that occupancy forecasts were overly optimistic, even as revenue rose significantly compared with last year. According to the Sojern platform, flight bookings to Seattle for the World Cup fell 21% year over year, while in New York they rose 7% and in Houston they increased 11%. Kelly Salling of Visit Seattle explained it by noting that June is the city’s peak tourism season, making it harder to build even higher numbers than in other places. Still, on June 18, the day before the U.S. vs. Australia match, a record was set for daily hotel revenue.
Seattle’s transportation system took center stage. Sound Transit director Dow Constantine said that “all records were broken.” For five days in June, light rail carried more than 200,000 passengers, and on June 19 (Juneteenth) it carried 280,000. The city is moving closer for the first time to 5 million trips in a month. For Sea-Tac Airport, three of its top ten busiest days in its history occurred in the first two weeks of the tournament. Mayor Kathy Wilson noted that on June 19, the Lime service recorded a record 83,000 rides on electric scooters and bikes. The press conference ended with a playful moment: a shelter dog picked a treat with the Senegal flag on it, predicting an upset win over the favorite Belgium. The head of the organizing committee, Peter Tomodzawa, joked that the Belgians in Renton would be unhappy. A piece in The Seattle Times (https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/world-cup-seattle/seattle-claims-world-cup-record-wins-despite-misses/) shows that Seattle won on global image and infrastructure, but local businesses are waiting for a more even distribution of economic benefits.
Belgium and Senegal will meet in Seattle to open the World Cup playoffs
The first stage of the World Cup playoffs in Seattle will begin with a match between Belgium and Senegal. The game will be played at Seattle Stadium on July 1 at 1:00 p.m. local time. Belgium finished Group G in first place with five points (one win, two draws, no losses). They drew with Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0), and in the final round they routed New Zealand 5-1. For Belgium, it will be their second match in Seattle during the tournament. Senegal, meanwhile, finished third in Group I with three points (one win, two losses). At the start, the Africans lost to France (1-3) and Norway (2-3), but in the decisive match they thrashed Iraq 5-0 to advance to the playoffs. FS1 will broadcast the match. The winner will remain in Seattle and play the Round of 16 on July 6 at 5:00 p.m. — the opponent could be the United States national team if the U.S. advances successfully from its opening round.
The United States national team finished first in Group D with six points (two wins, one loss). In their first playoff match, the Americans will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 5 at 5:00 p.m. at a stadium in the San Francisco Bay area. The winner of that matchup will head to Seattle for the Round of 16. Interestingly, the U.S. has already played in Seattle earlier in this World Cup: on July 19, they beat Australia 2-0 — their first match at this venue. The full playoff bracket can be found via the link in the original article.
In another piece on the same site, noted in an article on Seattle Sports, U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino admitted that the team’s recovery proved more difficult than he had expected. The comment highlights the challenges the team faces, but their group performance suggests they are capable of achieving success. Belgium vs. Senegal promises to be intense: Belgium has shown consistency and a powerful attack (five goals in their last match), while Senegal, despite a rough start, managed to regroup and secure a spot further on the strength of a big victory. For viewers unfamiliar with the tournament format, here’s a quick explanation: the playoffs begin with the Round of 32 (Round of 16), where teams play in knockout matches. The winner then advances to the Round of 16. That means Seattle will become the center of world football in the coming days, and a potential U.S. matchup with Belgium or Senegal could become the biggest storyline for local fans.
