EVERETT, Wash. — The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency called for a burn ban for Greater Pierce County and Snohomish County, which continues indefinitely.
Phil Swartzendruber, an Air Quality scientist at Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, said there are two types of burn bans. One is for fire safety and is more common during the summer months. The other is connected to air quality concerns and is more common during the winter months.
This November burn ban is due to air quality. Swartzendruber said this stems from a combination of the weather and people.
First, people are starting to burn wood because of how cold it is.
Burning wood "is actually causing a rapid buildup of smoke and fine particles in the wintertime and raising them to levels that violate the federal health standards,” said Swartzendruber.
In addition, he said there are certain weather conditions that are a recipe for worsening air quality.
“These cold, calm and clear conditions - there’s very little wind and the air doesn’t mix up very high - so all of that pollution stays very low, even just 20 or 30 feet above the ground and doesn’t move,” said Swartzendruber.
He said it’s been three years since an Air Quality Burn Ban was implemented, due, in part, to these conditions not being present in recent years.
He said the agency will enforce the ban. Violators could face up to a $1,000 fine. He added that the goal is to educate everyone on the ban prior to issuing fines, though.
The agency evaluates the conditions each day and determines if the ban needs to continue. Swartzendruber said a shift in the weather will need to occur to end the ban, which is expected by the weekend.
The agency’s website has the latest on the status of the ban.
During a Stage 1 burn ban:
- No burning is allowed in wood-burning fireplaces, uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
- It is OK to use certified wood stoves and pellet stoves.
- Homeowners that have a previously approved "No Other Adequate Source of Heat" exemption from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency are allowed to continue using any fuel burning devices.
- No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimeneas.
- Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas and propane grills, stoves, or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.