PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency issued a Stage 1 Air Quality Burn Ban for greater Pierce and Snohomish counties.
The ban will be in effect until further notice.
Over the weekend, an agency release said it detected high levels of wood smoke in the overnight and early morning hours in wood-burning areas. While it was expected the day would bring some clearing, high levels were expected again at night due to stagnant weather conditions. The same weather conditions are expected to last throughout the next week.
According to the agency, smoke in the air could lead to unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups.
During a Stage 1 burn ban, the Clean Air Agency listed the following as things you can and cannot do:
- No burning is allowed in wood-burning fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. 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.
- It is OK to use certified wood stoves or inserts, pellet stoves, and natural gas or propane stoves or inserts.
- The only other exception is if the homeowner has a previously approved ‘No Other Adequate Source of Heat’ exemption from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.
- No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimneys.
- Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
The agency said it is okay to use natural gas and propane grills, stoves, or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.