Effective 12:01 A.M., July 15, 2011,
Cowlitz County, in cooperation with emergency service
officials from Clark, and other counties, will be enacting restrictions on all
outdoor burning. On July 15th, all land clearing,
residential and silvicultural burning will be restricted until
further notice. The Cowlitz County Fire Marshal is
rescinding all burn permits issued prior to the burn ban; they
can be reissued or extended when the ban is lifted.
As a reminder, the Washington State Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) implemented a statewide burn ban on all
DNR-protected lands July 1, 2011, through September 30, 2011.
this applies to all forestlands in Washington except for federal
lands. These burning restrictions do not extend to federally-managed
lands though similar restrictions may be in place there.
In an effort to have predictable and consistent burn ban
dates, Cowlitz and Clark counties implemented a policy to ban
outdoor burning from July 15th through September 30th each year.
However, in extreme fire hazard conditions, the ban can be
extended to begin sooner or end later. Please contact the
Cowlitz County Fire Marshal's Office to be sure the ban has been
lifted before resuming any burning after September 30th. Recreational
campfires are allowed if built in improved fire pits in
designated campgrounds, such as those typically found in
local, county, and state parks and in commercial campgrounds.
On private land, campfires are permitted with the
landowner’s permission if built in the following approved
manner
·
In a metal, stone or masonry lined fire pit such as those
seen in approved campgrounds.
·
They may not exceed three-feet in diameter,
·
They must have an area at least ten-feet around them cleared
of all flammable material and at least 20-feet of clearance
from overhead fuels.
·
Campfires must be attended at all times by a responsible
person at least 16-years old with the ability and tools to
extinguish the fire, such as a shovel and either five gallons
of water or a connected and charged water hose.
Please
remember to completely extinguish campfires by pouring water
or moist soil in them and stirring with a shovel until all
parts are cool to the touch. The use of self-contained camp
stoves is encouraged as an alternative.
More information on fire danger
ratings is available from DNR by choosing the link below.
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