Thurston County restricts outdoor burning due to fire danger. Here’s what’s banned

Thurston County has restricted outdoor burning on all county-regulated lands due to fire danger.

The fire safety burn ban starts Saturday and ends Sept. 30, according to a Friday news release. The restrictions apply to residential yard waste burning and all land clearing burns.

Joshua Cummings, the county’s Fire Marshal, decided to enact the ban after determining weather conditions met the necessary fire danger level. He reportedly did so following consultations with the Thurston County Director of Emergency Services, Washington’s Department of Natural Resources, and the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency.

The decision comes after a sweltering heat wave came through the region and two days after the Department of Natural Resources issued its own burn ban on all forest lands it controls across the state.

“The fire safety burn ban is enacted when weather and fire fuel conditions reach a level of danger that may pose a threat to people and their property,” Cummings said.

“The Department of Natural Resources has moved their fire risk on public lands in our region to ‘high’. This triggers the county’s process to enact the fire safety ban to minimize the threat of fires as much as possible through the restriction of residential and land clearing burns.”

The county says it has seen a “significant drop” in brush fires and property damage following past summer burn bans.

Recreational fires are still allowed on private residential properties and in established fire rings located in county, state and federal campgrounds, according to the release. Such fires must be contained in approved concrete, stone or metal pits.

Charcoal briquettes, gas and propane barbecues also are still allowed under the new restrictions.

More information about the burn ban can be found on the county’s website .