Ecology issues Stage 1 burn ban
Published 7:00 am Monday, December 1, 2014
Outdoor burning prohibited
YAKIMA – A Stage 1 burn ban for Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Klickitat, Kittitas and Chelan, Okanogan counties was issued for on Monday, Dec. 1 by the Washington Department of Ecology. The ban will remain in place until further notice. Air is expected to remain cold and stagnant over the next few days.
All outdoor burning – including residential, agricultural and forest burning – is prohibited.
Under a Stage 1 ban the use of uncertified wood-burning devices – including fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts – is prohibited unless they are a home’s only adequate source of heat. Certified wood-burning devices and pellet stoves are allowed. Ecology recommends burning hot fires using only clean, dry wood.
By limiting burning and following restrictions when burn bans are called, residents can help improve air quality sooner.
Ecology’s burn bans do not apply on tribal reservations, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has jurisdiction.
About Gary DeVon
Gary DeVon is the managing editor of the Okanogan Valley Gazette-Tribune and celebrated his 25th year at the newspaper in August 2012. He graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Communications - Print Journalism, with an emphasis in photojournalism. He is a proud alumnus of Oroville High School. His family first settled in Okanogan County in the late 1800s. His parents are Judy DeVon and the late Larry DeVon and he has two younger brothers - Dante and Michael. Many family members still call Oroville home. He has a grown daughter, Segornae Douglas and a young granddaughter, Erin.
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