Clallam County intensifies burn ban

Clallam County has put a full burn ban in effect in unincorporated areas.

The announcement from Fire Marshal Annette Warren on Wednesday follows reports Tuesday of an enhanced burn ban in Jefferson County and a state Department of Natural Resources ban on burning on all lands it manages.

The state has determined that fire danger is very high/extreme in Clallam and Jefferson counties, as well as most counties in the state, with the exceptions of Kitsap, Grant, Adams and Whitman, all of which are rated as having a high danger of fire.

The Clallam County ban goes further than that instituted in Jefferson County in that it bans barbecues.

All outdoor burning is prohibited in Clallam County. No campfires are allowed, including in county parks. Burning also is not allowed of briquettes in barbecues, residential yard debris, cleanup, trash, disposal, land clearing, weed abatement and agricultural burning.

Propane/gas appliances are permissible if the use is over a non-flammable surface and at least 5 feet from flammable vegetation.

The exception is campfires within Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest.

In Jefferson County, no ground-level burning of any kind is allowed.

Barbecue grills, both charcoal and propane-powered, are still permitted in Jefferson County under the enhanced burn ban ordered by Jefferson County Fire Marshal and East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Assistant Chief Brian Tracer.

East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Chief Gordon Pomeroy said the enhanced burn ban will extend until at least Sept. 30.

The statewide ban means outdoor burning is prohibited on all forest lands that DNR protects from wildfire.

Anyone caught violating the DNR burn ban can face fines.

Burn restrictions on federally owned lands, such as national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges or other areas, are administered by federal agencies.

Fireworks and incendiary devices, such as exploding targets, sky lanterns or tracer ammunition, are always illegal on all DNR-protected forest lands.

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