UPDATE: Red flag fire warning in effect today, Friday for most of Western Washington
Published 12:01 am Thursday, September 11, 2014
The National Weather Service issued Wednesday a red flag warning for the Olympic Peninsula and the majority of Western Washington for today and Friday.
The red flag warning — indicating “critical” fire danger — is in effect from now through 5 p.m. Friday on the western and eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains because of strong wind and low humidity.
Strong winds, including gusts of up to 40 mph, are expected in the Olympics and Cascades — tapering off this afternoon and Friday afternoon — as humidity is expected to fall to as low as 20 percent today and Friday.
The warning area includes lowland areas around Forks, Beaver, Neah Bay and Crescent Bay; around Lake Crescent; the Olympic Mountains east of the Elwha River Valley — including Hurricane Ridge — and the eastern slopes of the Olympic Mountains to the East Jefferson communities of Port Ludlow, Quilcene and Brinnon.
Central and eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca communities of Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend and Chimacum, and the western slopes of the Olympic Mountains, are not included in the alert.
Clallam County is under a burn ban that prohibits open fires except in approved campgrounds.
Cooking on gas grills and other enclosed barbecues is permitted.
Jefferson County
In Jefferson County, recreational fires are allowed only in fire rings with a size of no more than 2 feet in diameter. The burning of yard waste is prohibited.
In Olympic National Forest, recreational fires are permitted in approved fire pits on lands below 3,500 feet elevation.
The red flag warning also includes the Puget Sound lowlands, including Silverdale, Hoquiam, Olympia, Seattle, Tacoma, Enumclaw, Stampede Pass and the Chehalis Gap to the south.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
