A Clallam County burn ban was upgraded Thursday to include a prohibition against campfires in all campgrounds within the unincorporated area.
A ban instituted earlier this summer permitted campfires in designated fire rings and grates in developed campgrounds.
Now all outdoor burning, including in county parks, is prohibited, said Annette Warren, county fire marshal.
Outdoor burning includes campfires, bonfires, briquette barbecues, residential yard debris cleanup, trash disposal, land clearing, weed abatement and agricultural burning activity.
Propane or gas appliances are permitted, provided the use is over a nonflammable surface and at least 5 feet from flammable vegetation, Warren said.
The widening of the ban was prompted by low moisture levels, low humidity and warmer weather combined with the reduced availability of firefighting resources, she said.
Where else?
Comprehensive burn bans also have been established in Jefferson County, in all North Olympic Peninsula cities and on land managed by the state Department of Natural Resources, Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park.
The cities of Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend have banned fires within city limits, prohibiting the burning of trash, yard debris and all recreational fires, including barbecues using charcoal briquettes, pellet-fed smokers or in backyard fire rings.
The bans are also against decorative uses of fire such as fire torches or commemorative or celebratory paper lanterns.
Lands managed by DNR have established the same restrictions as the counties and cities.
No fires whatsoever are allowed on DNR lands.
The national park and national forest continue to allow campfires — including wood, charcoal and briquette fires — only in designated fire rings and grates in developed campgrounds.
There is a ban on open fires in the park’s wilderness backcountry, including all locations along the coast.
The national forest has implemented fire restrictions in four campgrounds “due to the extreme fire potential” in those areas.
Those campgrounds are the Littleton Horse Campground west of Lake Crescent, Lena Lake Campground south of Brinnon, Elkhorn Campground near the Dosewallips River west of Quilcene and the Campbell Tree Grove Campground east of Quinault.
