WA Burn Bans

11:45 a.m., Wednesday, January 11, 2012

 The current Stage 1 Burn Ban will continue today and is likely to continue into the weekend

•  PM2.5 levels are currently Good for Upper and Lower Valley;  however, the National Weather Service has issued an Air Stagnation Advisory and the forecast is looking very poor, so we will maintain the Stage 1 Burn Ban.
• A high pressure system is causing an upper level inversion with poor ventilation and dispersion which will continue into the weekend.
• Three days of strong inversions are expected to cause increased PM2.5 levels (pollution).  There will be a slight increase in atmospheric mixing on Saturday ahead of a cold front which should clean out the Yakima County air-shed on Sunday.
• Certified woodstoves may be used but please refrain from outdoor burning or burning in uncertified woodstoves.
• We will re-evaluate this afternoon.

YRCAA staff will continue to monitor the air quality to determine when any changes to the current burn ban should be made.  Air Quality conditions can change rapidly.

Please check our website for the most up-to-date information at: http://www.yakimacleanair.org  or call the YRCAA office at (509) 834-2050.

Please Note: The jurisdiction of YRCAA covers all of Yakima County, excluding Yakama Nation Reservation lands.  Restrictions may differ within the exterior boundaries of the Yakama Reservation.  The Yakama Nation is addressing air quality issues in conjunction with the EPA, under the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR).  For up-to-date information there, please call 1-800-424-4EPA (1-800-424-4372) and ask for the FARR Hotline or visit the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) website for the current burn status at www.epa.gov/r10earth/FARR.htm .

Reminder:

During a Stage 1 Burn Ban:

1. All Outdoor Burning, including Agricultural burning, is prohibited;
2. The use of any fireplace, uncertified wood stove or uncertified fireplace insert is prohibited unless it is the only adequate means of heating a home;
3. Certified wood stove, certified fireplace insert or pellet stove/insert use is allowed;
4. No excessive smoke (over 20% opacity) is allowed from any wood burning device beyond a 20-minute start-up; and
5. All violations of the burn ban are subject to civil penalty.

Find out more information about RCW 70.94.473, WAC 173-425 and important key terms.