FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Friday, May 10, 2013
 
Due to increasing reduction in fuel moisture content in certain areas of the county, as well as unseasonably hot weather, Kittitas County is limiting burn pile sizes for outdoor burning to 4 foot in diameter for Fire District 3 (Easton) and Fire District 7 (Cle Elum area), effective 12:00 p.m., Friday, May 10, 2013.
 
The remainder of the county maintains the current outdoor burning regulations as listed below:
1.     The burning of garbage, trash, rubbish, or utilization of burn barrels, etc. is illegal;
2.     No open burning within 50 feet of any structure or combustible material;
3.     Pile size shall be no greater than 10′ in diameter, unless prior approval to increase pile size is obtained from the Fire Marshal and fire district;
4.     No more than one pile may be burned on any property at the same time;
5.     Piles may be stored on a property no longer than twelve months;
6.     Conditions that may cause the fire to spread shall be eliminated prior to ignition;
7.     No open burning shall occur when wind speeds or gusts exceed 10 mph, unless prior approval is obtained by the Fire Marshal and local fire district:
8.     A person capable of utilizing fire extinguishing equipment such as buckets, shovels, garden hoses connected to a charge water supply, fire extinguishers, heavy equipment, etc., shall be on site at all times; and
9.     Fire extinguishing equipment such as buckets, shovels, garden hoses connected to a charged water supply, fire extinguishers, heavy equipment or any equipment that will provide suppression of the proposed fire, shall be on site at all times while the fire is burning.
If you will be doing agricultural or non-silvicultural burning you will need to call the Washington State Department of Ecology.  For Central Washington call (509) 575-2490 and for Eastern Washington call (509) 329-3400, or you can visit Ecology’s website at www.ecy.wa.gov .