Pacific County Burn Ban starts this weekend

A burn ban goes in effect for Pacific County, starting this weekend.

Pacific County Fire Marshal Tim Crose announced that the county will be implementing a “Burn Ban” effective Friday, June 21 at 8:00 a.m.

Pacific County Fire Districts and Departments are working in cooperation with the Washington Department of Natural Resources and other SW Washington Counties to enact enacting restrictions on all outdoor burning until conditions moderate in the fall.

All residential burning associated with land clearing will be prohibited until further notice.

In their release, Pacific County Community Development reports that recreational campfires will still be allowed if built in improved fire pits in designated campgrounds, such as those typically found in local, county, and state parks and in commercial campgrounds.

On private land, campfires are permitted with certain regulations:

• The campfire shall be no greater than 3-feet in diameter and constructed of a ring of metal, stone or brick 8-inches above ground surface, with a 2-foot- wide area cleared down to exposed soil surrounding the outside of the pit.
• The campfire shall have an area at least 10-feet around it cleared of all flammable material and at least 20-feet of clearance from overhead flammable materials or fuels.
• The campfire must be attended at all times by a responsible person at least 16-years old with the ability to extinguish the fire with a shovel and a 5-gallon bucket of water or with a connected and charged water hose.
• Completely extinguish campfires by pouring water or moist soil in them and stirring with a shovel until all parts are cool to the touch. The use of self-contained camp stoves is encouraged as an alternative.

Please contact your local fire district for further information and also the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for updates on burn restrictions at 1-800-323-BURN or visit their website at www2.wadnr.gov/burn-risk. Contact ORCAA at 1-800-422-5623 or visit their website at www.orcaa.org.

You can also contact our office in Long Beach at 360-642-9382; or South Bend at 360-875-9356.