Cars around are turning on their wipers to no avail, and so are Amazon deliveries in this area. The smoke from the wildfire is unstoppable, affecting the business and the lives of those within the location.
The affected area: the Wenatchee Valley, and Chelan County in Washington.
Amazon customers are not liking this, but authorities can only do so much. The RSF team has more.
Wildfire! Wildfire! Wildfire!
Customers of Amazon deliveries across the Wenatchee Valley say their packages are stuck at the eCommerce platform’s local facility for days as wildfire smoke and poor air quality victimize and hamper deliveries along routes. Amazon is saying their operations are already affected.
Google has raised a fire alert for this Little Giant fire, the name given to this particular wildfire. Usually, wildfires in the USA are more common in the southern areas, but this wildfire is in the northern part.
According to National Geographic, a wildfire is “an uncontrolled fire that burns in the wildland vegetation, often in rural areas. Wildfires can burn in forests, grasslands, and so much more…”
The Seattle Times reported that this wildfire has already grown a whopping 170 square miles!
Chelan County is a scenic, mountainous area in Washington, with the biggest city being Wenatchee. If you are planning to visit, see the Bavarian-themed town of Leavenworth, the rich agriculture, and those hydroelectric dams, a hub for tourism and outdoor recreation.
Amazon may have reported that its operations have been affected, but this does not mean its operations have completely shut down. Some customers reported still receiving packages, but some routes have already been canceled due to unsatisfactory air quality.
Customer reports
Customers are dismayed, but they are also balancing their reactions, since they know the situation. A customer in Wenatchee area re-counted how their order arrived Tuesday, was marked for delivery Wednesday, only to be returned to the processing center around five hours later. Friday has settled in, and their package didn’t arrive yet. Yikes!
Another customer was expecting their order to arrive by August 8th, but it is still at the facility.
Also, a different customer in Plain reported that three packages had been sitting in Wenatchee for three days already. Also, another Amazon customer said a package had been sent out and returned to Wenatchee three times before another delivery attempt was scheduled. It is really an absolute nightmare for Amazon. But you cannot simply blame nature.
Others are questioning the whole situation. You can’t blame them either.
Statement from Amazon
Though Amazon has not yet officially announced a Wenatchee-area delivery shutdown, as of press time, they admitted that the on-going wildfires in Washington have greatly affected their operations and their employees.
The eCommerce company is humble enough to issue a formal apology, re-assuring their customers that their packages are on the way.
Representatives from Amazon stated, “Our top priority is ensuring the safety of our employees and partners.”
The company added that it maintains a 24-hour operation that offers alerts and current information during severe events to help guide operational decisions.
What do you think of this? Share your thoughts, and share your well-wishes to those affected by creating that account here on Ridesharingforum.com, and taking part in the discussions. Stay tuned for more!