FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 24, 2011
11-023
Ecology cancels Stevens County burn ban
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is canceling a burn ban in Stevens County.
Ecology issued the Stage 1 ban for the weekend because of worsening air quality conditions. The ban was set to expire at 4 p.m. today (Monday, Jan. 24), but conditions have improved enough to call off the ban earlier than scheduled.
Cold, stagnant air traps pollution, including smoke from burning wood, close to the ground. Fine particles in smoke are so small they can easily get into your lungs. Once there, they can cause heart and breathing problems, and even death. Children, people with asthma and respiratory illnesses, and adults older than 65 are most at risk.
Under a Stage 1 ban:
• Use of uncertified wood-burning devices – including fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts – is prohibited unless they are a home’s only source of heat.
• All outdoor burning – including residential, agricultural and forest burning – is prohibited.
• Use of certified wood-burning devices and pellet stoves is allowed. Ecology recommends burning hot fires using only clean, dry wood.
• No excessive smoke is allowed from any wood-burning device beyond a 20-minute start-up.
• Burn ban violators are subject to civil penalties.
A 2009 Ecology analysis estimates that fine particles contribute to about 1,100 deaths and millions of dollars in health-care costs each year in Washington. (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0902021.pdf)
For news on any future burn bans, check local media reports, Ecology’s daily burn decision hotline (1-800-406-5322) or www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/outdoor_woodsmoke/burn_ban.htm.
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Media Contact: Seth Preston, Ecology communications manager, 360-407-6848; 360-584-5744 cell; seth.preston@ecy.wa.gov
See a list of certified wood stoves and clean burning tips (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/air/indoor_woodsmoke/wood_smoke_page.htm)
We make every effort to ensure that all burn ban announcements and restrictions are posted. Always call or visit your county and local clean air agency and check the DNR fire danger for the most current information.
Find out more information about RCW 70.94.473, WAC 173-425 and important key terms.