Emergency Burn Ban Extended
Effective until September 30th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Contacts: Chris Pedersen, Yakima County Fire Marshal 509-574-2300
Jacob Clay, Public Information Officer 509-574-2300
YAKIMA, WA - The Yakima County Fire Marshal has extended the county-wide burn ban for unincorporated Yakima County. The burn ban, declared on June 24, will remain in effect until Thursday, September 30, 2021.
Continuing dry conditions led Yakima County Fire Marshal Chris Pedersen to extend the ban on all open burning in the unincorporated areas of Yakima County. All outdoor burning, including bonfires and recreational fires are prohibited.
“At this time, we will extend the burn ban until September 30th. The Schneider Springs fire continues to grow and weather conditions are not improving,” stated Pedersen. “We will monitor conditions closely and if there is significant improvement then we may consider lifting the burn ban”.
Yakima County, as well as other state and local agencies have declared similar bans in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. On July 6th a state of emergency was declared by Washington State which issued a statewide burn ban until September 30, 2021.
Outdoor burning in violation of the local ban may be subject to a fine of $1,000, arrest, and/or jail and should be reported to the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at (509) 574-2500.
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