The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has declared a Stage One burn ban for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties. Burning is prohibited in fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves, unless the stove is the home's only adequate source of heat.
A high pressure system is bringing cold temperatures and mild winds to the region. The system keeps air pollution from dissipating, and air quality is expected to deteriorate through Friday.
During a Stage 1 burn ban:
- No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home's other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home's only adequate source of heat.
- No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits.
Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.
You can learn more about burn bans at pscleanair.org.
