SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) instituted a statewide burn ban Wednesday as fire conditions remain elevated.
Under the order, campfires, outdoor burning, charcoal briquettes and prescribed burns are not allowed on land within DNR’s jurisdiction through Sept. 30. DNR manages about 5.6 million acres of land across Washington state.
The ban came near the end of a heat wave across the state that saw western Washington temperatures reach into the 90s for four straight days. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the eastern slopes of the Cascades on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“The record-breaking temperatures we are seeing this week have left our state bone dry,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz.
The goal of the burn ban is to reduce the risk of human-caused fires, which accounts for the majority of wildfires.
Anyone caught burning in a restricted area could be ticketed or prosecuted, according to DNR.
DNR is the latest in a series of agencies to issue fire restrictions this summer.
Starting July 12, campfires and briquettes will be banned in the North Cascades National Park, Ross Lake National Recreation Area and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.
The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest issued Stage 1 fire restrictions Tuesday, which means campfires are only allowed in designated recreation sites. As of July 9, Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest also only allow campfires in fire rings.
King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are all under Stage 1 burn bans, which prohibits outdoor yard and debris burns. Recreational campfires are OK.
There are several wildfires burning in Washington state, including the Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan, which has burned over 12,000 acres.