Unincorporated King County now under a burn ban, statewide ban set for DNR lands, too
Published 1:31 am Wednesday, August 31, 2016
The King County Fire Marshal issued a burn ban Aug. 19 in unincorporated areas of the county to prevent wildfires during the hot, dry conditions.
This is a Stage 1 burn ban and applies to all outdoor burning except for small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission. Recreational fires can pose a hazard so please use extra caution and consideration this weekend.
Recreational fires must:
• Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit;
• Grow no larger than three feet in diameter;
• Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, and at least 25 feet away from structures, with a 20-foot vertical clearance; and
• Be attended at all times by an alert individual with equipment capable of extinguishing the fire.
A statewide burn ban is also in effect, as of Aug. 17, prohibiting all campfires on DNR-protected lands through Sept. 30.
“After a relatively mild summer, we are entering a period of critical fire weather on both sides of the Cascades,” said Goldmark. “The greatest fire danger right now comes from carelessness. It’s essential that people understand the risks involved and do not spark any fires.”
The statewide burn ban applies to state forests, parks and forestlands protected by DNR firefighters. It prohibits all outdoor burning, including campfires in fire pits and the use of charcoal briquettes. Gas or propane camp stoves that do not use briquettes and have on/off controls are permitted.
The statewide ban does not include federally-owned lands such as national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges or other areas administered by federal agencies.
This fire season to date, there have been 527 fires on 3,372 acres. By comparison, at this point in 2015, there had been 803 fires burning 319,551 acres. In 2014 by this date, there were 590 fires burning 190,742 acres.
In 2015, a record drought, low snowpack and weeks of hot, dry weather brought Washington’s worst-ever wildfire season, burning more than a million acres across the state.
