Quartermaster Harbor is known for its views of spectacular sunsets, but on Friday, Aug. 13, a small orange orb hung in the hazy sky, painting the water below it with an eerie, same-colored brushstroke. Haze from wildfires in British Columbia and Eastern Washington had blurred the sky, filling it with hazardous particulates that lowered air quality into moderate to unhealthy zones. High heat over the weekend compounded islanders’ discomfort. By Sunday, the smoke over Vashon had cleared, but the fires throughout the West were still burning.

— Elizabeth Shepherd