Peninsula Daily News and The Associated Press
PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County has joined Clallam and the state in declaring a ban on outdoor burning effective immediately.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue and other agencies in Jefferson County initiated the ban early this year for the same reason: “already-dry conditions and lack of measurable precipitation.”
Clallam County declared a ban on outdoor burning last week, and the state Department of Natural Resources extended its ban into all of Western Washington, including all state-protected lands on the Olympic Peninsula.
Earlier report:
OLYMPIA — A burn ban is now in effect for all state-protected lands in Washington because of increasing fire danger.
The state Department of Natural Resources on Monday extended a burn ban to Western Washington, an order that includes the agency’s 371,000 acres on the Olympic Peninsula.
A similar ban began in Eastern Washington last week.
The ban means all outdoor burning is prohibited in state forests, state parks and forestlands protected by the state agency.
It doesn’t cover federal lands such as national parks or national forests.
Recreational fires in approved fire pits within designated state, county, municipal and other campgrounds are still allowed. But fireworks and incendiary devices, such as exploding targets, are prohibited on all state lands protected by DNR.
The statewide ban runs through Sept. 30.
So far this year, there have been more than 300 wildfires throughout the state.
Clallam County has already imposed a ban on all outdoor burning continuing at least through Oct. 1.
The county ban applies to all outdoor burning except recreational cooking fires.
Recreational fires are permitted unless further banned by extreme conditions.
Recreational fires are limited to 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
So-called trash fires for debris disposal are illegal under any circumstances.
