Due to continued weather conditions and air pollution levels, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency is updating burn bans for the following:

• Issuing a Stage 2 burn ban for King County, effective today at noon

• Maintaining a Stage 2 burn ban in Pierce County

• Lifting the burn ban for Snohomish County, effective today at noon

Burn bans will be lifted as of 6 a.m. tomorrow.

The front expected this evening is showing rain and winds that will clear the air. However, daytime winds will not be sufficient to significantly reduce pollution levels in King and Pierce counties, especially in areas where wood burning is common.

Snohomish County is expected to have earlier daytime winds sufficient enough to reduce pollution levels, allowing the burn ban to be lifted as of noon today.

The purpose of a burn ban is to reduce the amount of pollution that is creating unhealthy air usually due to excessive wood smoke. The Clean Air Agency will continue to closely monitor the situation.  During a Stage 2 burn ban:

No burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, certified or uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. 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 canceled.

The only exception is if the homeowner has a previously approved “No Other Adequate Source of Heat” designation from the Clean Air Agency.

No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.

Burn-ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

It is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 2 burn ban.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children, and older adults (over age 65).