Here are some places fall campfires are allowed, and what to know about burning brush
Campfires are back on in the Olympics and elsewhere in some parts of Western Washington, but the incoming fall weather isn’t a green light to burn brush in your Pierce County yard.
Mount Rainier National Park’s burn ban remained in effect, but officials lifted the campfire ban for Olympic National Park, North Cascades National Park and the Olympic and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie national forests Sept. 16.
“The decision to lift the campfire ban is due to the fire danger moderating with cooler, moist weather and the forecast for significant rainfall,” a news release said.
Visitors should be careful when it comes to campfires, officials cautioned, and they should check for any fire restrictions before their trip.
“The majority of firefighting resources are already deployed due to the large amount of wildland fire activity throughout the country,” the news release said.
Washington State Parks still has burn bans in place. The latest updates can be found on each park’s website.
A Pierce County burn ban that is still in place doesn’t apply to small recreational fires in fire pits that meet various requirements.
Pierce County Fire Marshal Warner Webb said it’s important to follow any rules on local fire departments’ websites.
“When the ban for open burning is lifted, it is very important people check their local fire department if it allows the burning of yard debris,” Webb said via email.
Burning yard waste is never allowed in Tacoma but is allowed in some parts of the county depending on the conditions.
Officials with the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula fire departments said they follow the county and state fire marshals, noting that they have not yet lifted burn bans.
A recent post on Central Pierce Fire & Rescue’s website said state law prohibits burning yard waste in areas the agency covers: Parkland, Midland, Spanaway, South Hill, Puyallup, Summit and Frederickson.
Staff writer Kerry Webster contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Here are some places fall campfires are allowed, and what to know about burning brush."
