Below are the most recent Burn Ban announcements in ORCAA
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BOLD HEADING for more information
With today’s change in weather, air quality has improved signficantly allowing Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to lift the Burn Ban in Thurston County, effective 8:30 a.m. today (Tuesday, February 7, 2012).
Now that the burn bans have been lifted, ORCAA encourages residents to remember that just because you can burn doesn’t mean you should. Outdoor burning in cities and Urban Growth Areas is illegal. The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) encourages all residents to explore options such as chipping of woody debris, and composting of leaves and grass-clippings rather than burning. Take advantage of the local resources in Thurston County that offer debris disposal.
Burning at any time adds to the air pollution levels in your local neighborhood, and residents are encouraged to seek alternatives to burning throughout the year. ORCAA especially encourages residents to resist outdoor burning when possible. When outdoor burning does take place, note that only natural vegetation may be burned. State law prohibits the burning of garbage and home-repair debris at any time. Burn barrels of any kind are also prohibited by state law. Outdoor burning in also prohibited in any Urban Growth Area.
Unregulated outdoor burning of any kind can contribute to poor air quality, but burning garbage and other debris—even scraps of milled wood products—is particularly problematic. Most household garbage contains a great deal of plastics, chemicals, coatings and chemically treated materials. When burned, this garbage and waste material releases toxic fumes and particles into the air. This pollution can cause health problems ranging from eye and respiratory irritation to potential cancers.
Woodstoves and fireplace inserts used for home heating, meanwhile, should be operated as cleanly as possible. That means allowing adequate airflow into the fire chamber to encourage a hot fire for complete combustion. Choking a fire by turning down the damper creates significant smoke that can impact a neighborhood. Fires should be kept small and hot for most efficient use of your fuel – you’ll save money and save our shared air.
For more information about burn ban regulations, clean home heating and outdoor burning practices, visit www.orcaa.org
A Stage Two Burn Ban was called for Thurston County, effective 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 and will continue indefinitely.
No burning is allowed in fireplaces or wood stoves (certified and uncertified), and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. The ban will be lifted only after a change in weather arrives to improve the air quality.
While pollution levels in Thurston County warrant the Stage Two Ban other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.
Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from outdoor burning as well as from the use of wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.
Restrictions During a Stage 2 Burn Ban
- No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. 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.
- If your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat and therefore must be used, you must operate it cleanly. No visible smoke is allowed.
- No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. This includes recreational fires as well as the use of backyard fire kettles, chimineas or firepits.
- Burn ban violations are subject to a monetary penalty.
- During a Stage 2 ban, residents may use natural gas and propane appliances.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted.
Additional information burn bans throughout Washington state may be found at http://waburnbans.net
A Stage One Burn Ban is being called for Thurston County effective 5 p.m. today (Feb. 3, 2012) and continuing through the weekend at least.
Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.
A system of stable, high pressure over the South Puget Sound region, coupled with cold overnight temperatures has resulted in air pollution levels climbing enough to raise concerns about the air quality and its impacts on health. A change in weather will be needed to restore cleaner air quality, yet that’s not forecast to occur until sometime next week at the earliest.
While pollution levels in Thurston County warrants the Stage 1 Ban, other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Mason, Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.
Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted. In the meantime, here are some other things people can do to help protect the air we breathe:
- If you have a certified wood stove or fireplace insert, make sure you are using it properly so you don’t produce excess chimney smoke. Excess smoke is always illegal. To learn more about clean burning techniques or upgrading to a certified, pellet, natural gas or propane stove, visit http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/
- To determine if your stove is certified, visit www.orcaa.org.
- Limit your driving as much as possible, since vehicles are a big source of air pollution year round. Check air-quality forecasts and current conditions at www.orcaa.org.
For more information about Burn Ban regulations, you may refer to Chapter 173-433 of the Washington Administrative Code.
With today’s change in weather, air quality has improved signficantly allowing Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) to lift the Burn Bans in Thurston and Mason Counties, effective 8 a.m. today (Saturday, January 14, 2012).
ORCAA staff thanks the residents of these counties for the support of, and adherence to, the burn ban while it was in effect. By voluntarily reducing the amount of burning done prior to the implementation of the formal burn ban, residents of ORCAA’s other counties – Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson – where able to minimize pollution in their counties.
Now that the burn bans have been lifted, ORCAA encourages residents to remember that just because you can burn doesn’t mean you should.
Burning at any time adds to the air pollution levels in your local neighborhood, and residents are encouraged to seek alternatives to burning throughout the year. ORCAA especially encourages residents to resist outdoor burning when possible. When outdoor burning does take place, note that only natural vegetation may be burned. State law prohibits the burning of garbage and home-repair debris at any time. Burn barrels of any kind are also prohibited by state law. Outdoor burning in also prohibited in any Urban Growth Area.
Unregulated outdoor burning of any kind can contribute to poor air quality, but burning garbage and other debris—even scraps of milled wood products—is particularly problematic. Most household garbage contains a great deal of plastics, chemicals, coatings and chemically treated materials. When burned, this garbage and waste material releases toxic fumes and particles into the air. This pollution can cause health problems ranging from eye and respiratory irritation to potential cancers.
The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) encourages all residents to explore options such as chipping of woody debris, and composting of leaves and grass-clippings rather than burning.
Woodstoves and fireplace inserts used for home heating, meanwhile, should be operated as cleanly as possible. That means allowing adequate airflow into the fire chamber to encourage a hot fire for complete combustion. Choking a fire by turning down the damper creates significant smoke that can impact a neighborhood. Fires should be kept small and hot for most efficient use of your fuel – you’ll save money and save our shared air.
For more information about burn ban regulations, clean home heating and outdoor burning practices, visit www.orcaa.org
Thursday, January 12, 2012
CONTACT: Dan A. Nelson, ORCAA Public Information Officer, Ext. 111
Stage Two Burn Ban called for Thurston County
A Stage Two Burn Ban has been called for Thurston County, effective 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 and will continue indefinitely.
No burning is allowed in fireplaces or wood stoves (certified and uncertified), and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. The ban will be lifted only after a change in weather arrives to improve the air quality.
While pollution levels in Thurston County warrant the Stage Two Ban, Mason County remains under a Stage 1 Burn Ban, but other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency (ORCAA) haven’t reached that level. To avoid bans in their areas, the residents of Pacific, Grays Harbor, Clallam and Jefferson Counties are asked to voluntarily refrain from all outdoor burning, and to use safe alternatives to wood heat if possible.
Of particular concern are fine particles released by smoke from outdoor burning as well as from the use of wood stoves and fireplaces. The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.
Restrictions During a Stage 2 Burn Ban
• No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. 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.
• If your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat and therefore must be used, you must operate it cleanly. No visible smoke is allowed.
• No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. This includes recreational fires as well as the use of backyard fire kettles, chimineas or firepits.
• Burn ban violations are subject to a monetary penalty.
• During a Stage 2 ban, residents may use natural gas and propane appliances.
Under a Stage 1 Ban, no burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves, and all outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. Additionally, no visible smoke is allowed from any wood stove or fireplace, certified or not, beyond a 20-minute start-up period.
Olympic Region Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted.
