PORT ANGELES — The state Department of Natural Resources has banned all outdoor fires.
The upgraded burn ban applies to all forestlands in the state, except federal lands, and prohibits campfires in all state, local and private campgrounds, DNR officials said.
The new burn ban was prompted by active wildfires in Central Washington and hot and dry conditions on both sides of the Cascade Mountains.
It will be in effect through Sept. 30.
“Now is the time to be vigilant,” Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark said in a statement.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to be appropriately cautious during this season.
“The risk of wildfire is unusually high, and the consequences could be catastrophic,” Goldmark added.
“We have hundreds of firefighters fighting two major wildfires and numerous smaller fires in Washington state. Our resources are stretched thin.”
Large wildfires are burning south of Wenatchee and north of Goldendale.
The fire danger there remains high through today with the threat of lightning strikes from thunderstorms.
The upgraded burn ban supersedes previous burn bans in Clallam and Jefferson counties, which applied to all outdoor burning except recreational cooking fires.
Moderate danger here
DNR listed the fire danger as moderate in Clallam, Jefferson and 15 other Western Washington counties Wednesday.
The fire danger was either high or very high/extreme in Eastern Washington.
While the burn ban is in effect, any illegal burning will result with the property owner being liable for all fire-suppressant costs, fines and fees, including prosecution, Clallam County Fire Marshal Sheila Roark Miller said in a statement.
Roark Miller, who is also the county’s Community Development director and building official, said maintaining a 30-foot defensible space around structures will aid firefighters by creating a green zone of protection around personal property.
