by Laurel Demkovich, Washington State Standard
July 10, 2024
A burn ban is in effect for all state lands in Washington.
The state Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday issued the statewide ban on outdoor burning, campfires, the use of charcoal briquettes and prescribed burns on its lands. The ban started at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and will go until at least Sept. 30, 2024.
The restrictions follow days of hot, dry weather in western Washington, including record-breaking temperatures in Seattle, Olympia, SeaTac and Bellingham.
There are also multiple active fires throughout Washington. The largest is the Pioneer Fire in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest on the east side of Lake Chelan, which has burned more than 12,000 acres and was 14% contained, as of Wednesday. The nearby Shoofly Fire, west of Lake Wenatchee, had burned more than 100 acres as of Wednesday.
The statewide burn ban is critical to reduce the risk of more wildfires, according to the Department of Natural Resources. It will be in effect on all 5.6 million acres the department manages.
“The record-breaking temperatures we are seeing this week have left our state bone dry,” Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said in a statement.
As of Friday, almost all of Washington was still in a drought emergency, following a drought declaration in April.
Much of the central part of the state has already been under a red flag warning, which means weather conditions can increase fire danger, and some local jurisdictions have already implemented burn bans.
Fires in the North Cascades also prompted the Department of Ecology to issue its first air quality alert of the year for Chelan County and parts of the Methow Valley.
Officials urge the public to stay alert when outdoors, to check restrictions and conditions before recreating, and to ensure chains are properly secured on vehicles to avoid dragging them on the pavement and creating sparks.
“I am asking everyone in Washington to do their part to protect our firefighters and our communities this summer,” Franz said.
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