Air Time: Eastern Washington burn bans continue, three counties added

By Brook Beeler, Eastern Regional Office

The Stage 1 burn bans in Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Stevens and Walla Walla counties will continue. Stage 1 bans have also been issued in Asotin, Klickitat and Okanogan counties starting immediately, by the Washington Department of Ecology.

Current air quality data can be found on Ecology's website.
This shows air quality in Walla Walla is "unhealthy for sensitive groups".

The bans will continue at least until 4 p.m. Wednesday. Poor air quality and stagnant conditions are expected to continue for the next few days.

All outdoor burning – including residential, agricultural and forest burning – is prohibited.

Under a Stage 1 ban the use of uncertified wood-burning devices – including fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts – is prohibited unless they are a home’s only adequate source of heat. 

Certified wood-burning devices and pellet stoves are allowed. Ecology recommends burning hot fires using only clean, dry wood.

Ecology’s burn bans do not apply on tribal reservations, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has jurisdiction.

For burn ban updates, check online at www.waburnbans.net

You can track air quality in your area by using the Washington Air Quality Advisory . This is Ecology’s tool for informing people about the health effects of air pollution, including fine particles. It uses color-coded categories to show when air quality is good, moderate or unhealthy.

For more information about WAQA, see this Ecology fact sheet.

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