By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
An outdoor burn ban will go into effect in Lewis County at one minute after midnight tonight.
Lewis County Building Official and Fire Marshal Fred Chapman said he expects it will remain until weather conditions change, probably sometime in October.
It’s a summertime restriction that means residents can’t burn brush outdoors, which they otherwise could have with a permit.
“This is the latest its gone into effect in my 10 years here,” Chapman said, noting that’s because June as such a wet month.
Small cooking campfires – no larger than three feet by three feet by two feet – are still allowed.
Thurston County implemented a similar ban on July 15.
Also on July 15, a burn ban went into effect statewide on all Department of Natural Resources-protected lands which include private forest lands and state-owned forest lands. An exception to those restrictions are recreational fires in approved fire pits in designated campgrounds. It is set to expire on Sept. 15.
In the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, campfires are currently allowed if certain safety measures are taken, such as using a ringed or grated fire pit and keeping tools such as a shovel nearby in case fire should escape, according to Ken Sandusky, a spokesperson for the National Forest.
The fire danger is currently listed as moderate in the Gifford Pinchot, and as the precaution level increases, so do the restrictions, Sandusky said.
Chapman said use common sense and enjoy the summer.
If a person builds a campfire, keep it at least 20 feet away from any structure, don’t do it under a tree and don’t leave it unattended, he said.
The end of July and the first of August often are accompanied by an increase in wildfire outbreaks, according to DNR. So far this year, as of last week, there have been more than 140 wildfires on the 12.7 million acres across Washington on land protected by DNR.
For more information check with your local fire department or the following:
• Lewis County Community Development – click here
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources – click here
• Gifford Pinchot National Forest – click here
• Southwest Washington Fire Prevention Council – click here
• Southwest Clean Air Agency – click here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter