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Date: September 25, 2020
Kitsap County outdoor burn ban lifted
(Port Orchard, WA) - The Kitsap County Fire Marshal announced this morning that, effective immediately and due to the return to fall weather patterns, the summer's outdoor burn bans have been lifted.
As of Friday, September 25, 2020 all outdoor burning may resume subject to the normal rules and regulations. Land clearing burning is still prohibited throughout the county and burning permits are required for general outdoor burning. Permits are available free of charge through local fire districts' websites. Recreational burning (fires of less than 3’x3’x2′ in a designated pit and containing only seasoned firewood or charcoal) may be conducted without permits.
A Stage 1 Outdoor Burn Ban was implemented on July 30 due to rising fire danger and the risk posed by outdoor burning. Between 80 - 90% of all wildfires are human-caused and escaped outdoor fires are the leading source. The ban was elevated to Stage 2 on September 8 due to worsening conditions that included stretched firefighting resources as wind-driven fires broke out across the state. “The return of fall rains has decreased fire danger enough to allow outdoor burning again,” says Kitsap County Fire Marshal David Lynam. He adds his appreciation for everyone's patience as officials waited for moisture levels to be restored to the region's parched landscape. Until earlier this week, less than an inch of rain had fallen since the end of June. "I know there has been rain, but it has taken some time for the moisture to soak in."
Despite the improvement in fire danger, Lynam urges the public to exercise caution when burning and to consider the impact of smoke on neighbors. Find links to local fire districts and the outdoor burning rules on the fire marshal's web page.
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