Dry Spell Prompts Burn Ban In Pierce County

UNIVERSITY PLACE, WA - After one of the wettest winters on record, the Puget Sound area is now in a prolonged dry stretch. Friday marks the 27th day in a row with no rain in Western Washington, more than halfway to the record of 51 days, according to the National Weather Service.

To hopefully prevent wildfires and brush fires due to the dryness, Pierce County Fire Marshall Warner Webb is putting a burn-ban in place effective Saturday at 8 a.m. The ban only applies to unincorporated parts of Pierce County.

"The burn ban applies to all outdoor burning, including land clearing and yard debris burning. This ban does not apply to small recreational fires in established fire pits at approved campgrounds or private property with the owner’s permission. The use of gas and propane self-contained stoves and barbecues are allowed under the ban," Pierce County said in a statement announcing the ban.

On Thursday, firefighters put out at least seven brush fires between Everett and Puyallup. According to the state Department of Natural Resources, wildfire danger is moderate. There's no rain in the forecast for at least the next five days.

Even if you're not covered by a burn ban, Pierce County shared some tips to help keep recreational fires from getting out of control:

• Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal
• Grow no larger than three feet in diameter
• Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches
• Be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire, such as hand tools and a charged garden hose or not less than two 5-gallon buckets of water
• No burning when winds exceed 5 mph

Image via Pierce County Firefighters