San Juan County complete burn ban goes into effect tomorrow, 5 p.m.

||| FROM KIM KIMPLE for SJC FIRE DISTRICTS & COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL |||

With continuing dry weather conditions, San Juan County Fire Districts and the County Fire Marshal’s office are enacting a complete burn ban throughout the San Juan Islands. This burn ban will be in effect beginning this Friday, July 30, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. and will be in effect until further notice.

ALL charcoal, wood burning, and recreational campfires are prohibited beginning this Friday at 5:00 p.m. until further notice.

This burn ban applies to all lands, private and public, throughout all of San Juan County. Washington State Parks continues their complete burn ban until further notice.

• This burn notice includes ALL recreational fires on BOTH private and public land.
• The fire ban means NO charcoal grills, wood burning, or recreational campfires.
• Burning refuse, plastic, and treated or painted wood is illegal and subject to fines. Burn barrels are not allowed at any time due to a prohibition by the Department of Ecology.
• Liquid and gas fueled stoves are allowed at this time when placed on a surface free of all flammable materials with a 5-foot perimeter also free of all flammable materials including grass, moss, foliage, roots, and more.

Conditions throughout our islands and our region are exceptionally dry. Please do your part to protect our island families, neighbors, homes, and businesses. Fires impact our limited water supplies and our special environment, including critical habitat for our animal friends.

Please be extra careful with any machinery operating in or around dried grasses and wood; metal that can cause sparks (i.e., vehicles and trailer chains dragging from vehicles).

And PLEASE – cigarette, cigar and other smoking materials, especially cigarette butts tossed on the ground are DANGEROUS, preventable sources of fire.

Be responsible, be safe and we can all work together to protect our island communities.