Effective Friday, August 15 at Noon
||| FROM BEN LUNA for ORCAS ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE |||
San Juan County, WA – The San Juan County Fire Marshal, in coordination with local fire districts and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, has announced that fire danger will be downgraded from Very High to High effective Friday, August 15, 2025, at 12:00
p.m.
Under the High fire danger level:
- Recreational campfires are allowed in a contained fire pit.
- Charcoal use is permitted with no restrictions.
- Outdoor burning of natural debris remains prohibited until further notice. Residents and visitors are reminded to use extreme caution with any activity that could start a fire. Even under High fire danger, conditions remain dry, and fires can still spread quickly.
Please:- Always have water and a means to extinguish the fire on hand.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Fully extinguish campfires and charcoal before leaving.
“We appreciate everyone’s cooperation during this fire season,” said Chad Kimple, Fire Chief with Orcas Island Fire & Rescue. “While we’ve been able to relax restrictions slightly, we ask everyone to remain vigilant to protect our islands and community.”
For up-to-date fire danger information, visit: https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/1088/Fire-Marshal
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I believe it’s a very bad idea to downgrade our fire danger from Very High to High, in particular at this time of the summer, due to the extreme amount of dry grass and other combustibles on the ground.
We have already had multiple fires here on Orcas, one very close to our house here on Palisades. There are too many campers and other visitors who are careless and don’t know how to properly extinguish a campfire, don’t know how to dispose of charcoal, etc.
Just a couple of days after the rain ends all of the grass, moss, and other combustibles will completely dry out and create the same highly dangerous situation that existed prior to the rain.
It is a mistake to downgrade the fire danger, so I urge the San Juan County Fire Marshal to reconsider that decision and keep us as safe as possible for the rest of the summer….err on the side of caution.