King County fire marshal to lift burn ban on Friday

In concert with Pierce County, Kitsap County, Mason County and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, King County will lift its burn ban 8 a.m. Sep. 5.

The burn ban is lifted in areas outside the jurisdiction of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. The Clean Air Agency is the air quality authority for the greater Puget Sound area and restricts burning in the more urban, densely populated areas.

Burning in King County, outside of the Clean Air Agency boundaries, requires a permit from your local fire district and the following regulations apply:

• Only natural vegetation shall be burned. The fire shall not contain any rubber products, asphalt products, petroleum products, plastics, garbage, dead animals or other waste materials.

• Persons and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire shall be on the burn site and in attendance at all times.

• A distance of 50 feet must be maintained between the burn pile and any structure or combustible material.

To find out if you are outside of the jurisdiction of the Clean Air Agency,call 1-800-552-3565. Your local fire district will also have a map showing boundaries.

King County Fire Marshal John Klopfenstein, in lifting the burn ban stated, “The moisture level in our forests is constantly measured to determine the fire hazard level. This past summer has been relatively moist and the risk of fire danger is down considerably.”

For more information on local fire restrictions, the public can call the King County Fire Marshal Division at 206-296-6675, your local fire district, or 1-800-323-BURN.