Snohomish County burn ban begins Monday

A burn ban is about to go into effect in Snohomish County.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal has declared a Stage One Outdoor Burning Ban for unincorporated areas of Snohomish County, which will begin Monday.

That means no residential open burning, even if a permit has been issued, except for recreational and cooking fires in an approved fire pit.

The ban comes after a brush fire Wednesday evening that spread near homes along Mukilteo Boulevard.

Several residents called 911 to report the fire, which was growing fast and threatening homes.

The fire burned an 80-by-20-foot area west of Harborview Park, and was tough for crews to access in steep terrain and thick brush.

The burn ban is expected to stay in effect at least through the end of August.

Burning is also prohibited in more than a dozen cities in the county.

The cities where burning has been banned include Arlington, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls, Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Snohomish, Stanwood, Sultan, and Woodway.

The fire marshal’s office has restrictions in place for recreational and cooking fires.

It released the following information about fires that are allowed:

Recreational fires:

• Are less than three feet in diameter and two feet high.
• Are used for cooking or pleasure within an approved fire pit.
• Contain burning material kept below the top of the fire pit enclosure.
• Shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible materials. Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition.
• Shall be monitored at all times.
• Must have a water source readily available. At a minimum, this means a charged water hose or a five-gallon bucket of water.

This is not a Red Flag Warning, but they are not uncommon in the summer months. In the event of a “Red Flag Warning,” all outdoor burning is prohibited, including recreational fires.  A Red Flag Warning is a forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service in the United States to inform the public, firefighters, and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion and rapid spread. To the public, a Red Flag Warning means high fire danger with increased probability of a quickly spreading vegetation fire in the area within 24 hours.

“In anticipation of dry weather, we urge the public to exercise great caution before lighting any recreational fires, as wildfires pose a significant risk across the region. If you have any doubts about safety, please don’t burn. Contact our Outdoor Burning Information Hotline at (425) 388-3508 for updated information,” the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office said.