Outdoor burning ban lifted on state lands

Effective 12:01 a.m., Friday, September 23, 2016, officials from Wahkiakum County will allow outdoor burning in accordance with the Wahkiakum Outdoor Burning Ordinance 122-94. Burning is restricted to natural vegetation grown on the property where the burning occurs.

All other materials are prohibited, except the paper necessary to start the fire. The lifting of the current Wahkiakum County imposed burn ban does not apply to Washington Department of Natural Resource and federally managed land within Wahkiakum County.

With continued fall weather conditions west of the Cascades, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lifted the ban on outdoor burning on DNR-protected lands in western Washington, effective midnight Tuesday.

As of Tuesday, Wahkiakum County Public Works Director Chuck Beyer, the county's fire marshal, hadn't made a decision on lifting the ban on other lands in the county.

“The fall weather pattern shows us it’s time to lift western Washington’s burn ban,” Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark said in a Monday press release. “It will also permit us to ease the burn ban east of the Cascades by allowing campfires in some locations.”

The burn ban east of the Cascades has been eased in order to allow campfires in campfire pits in designated campgrounds only.

County burn bans may still be in effect in various locations throughout Washington, and residents should check with local fire districts for information. If campers and visitors are unsure about whether a campground is on DNR-protected land, they should check with local park authorities. Also, check with them on any campfire restrictions that may be in place.