The seasonal rains have come either too soon or just on time.
While a cold and wet streak of weather in Washington will put a literal damper on Labor Day celebrations, it also means many residents can cook hot dogs over the camp fire without fear of reprisal.
Lewis County announced Wednesday that it would modify its summer burn restrictions to allow recreational campfires and solid fuel barbecues effective Thursday, Sept. 3.
“After careful review of the current and extended weather forecast, the Lewis County Commissioners, Community Development Director and Fire Marshal have determined that current weather conditions within Lewis County have improved enough to modify current burning restrictions,” reads a news release from Lewis County Fire Marshal Doyle Sanford.
The county had previously barred virtually all outdoor fires except for gas stoves along. That action was also taken by the state and many nearby cities, including both Centralia and Chehalis.
The modification matches burn restriction updates issued by the city of Centralia. The City of Chehalis had not yet published notice of plans to modify its burn ban as of Friday afternoon.
Burn restrictions included in the original burn bans announced earlier in the summer due to dry weather are still in place, including a ban on open burning, meaning burning permits are still not valid.
The new modification makes specific allowances for small recreational fires that are constantly watched, well managed and easy to extinguish.
Recreational campfires should be no larger than 3 feet across and have a ring constructed of metal, stone or brick extending at least 8 inches above the ground with 2 feet of area cleared around the ring in all directions down to bare soil.
The fire should be separated from flammable material on the ground by at least 10 feet in all directions and must be separated by 20 feet from any flammable material hanging above, such as tree branches.
The fire must be constantly attended by an individual of at least 16 years of age who is easily able to extinguish the fire with a shovel, dirt and 5 gallons of water or a working water hose. All fires should be thoroughly extinguished using soil and water and stirred until all parts are cool to the touch.
According to the county’s announcement, the previously established burn restrictions will remain in place until explicitly modified.
For additional information for burn restrictions on lands regulated by the Washington state Department of Natural Resources, visit https://burnportal.dnr.wa.gov/.
