YAKIMA COUNTY, Wash.-The residential outdoor burn ban for Yakima County has been extended through Sept. 30.
Effective immediately all outdoor burning in Yakima County is banned.
The Yakima County Fire Marshal issued the new restrictions on July 29 in partnership with the Yakima County Fire Chiefs Association.
The new restrictions are in response to the Rimrock Retreat Fire and the hazards from high temperatures and dry conditions, according to a Yakima County press release.
Liquid or natural gas portable stoves or warmers are exempt from the burn ban.
The previous ban, in effect since June 12, included only yard waste, but was expanded on July 1 to include bonfires and all residential burning.
The county-wide burn ban for unincorporated Yakima County is now effective through September 30, 2024, according to Yakima County.
The burn ban is due to dry conditions and the potential for wildfires and aims to ensure that human-caused fires will not divert the resources needed to fight wildfires.
Under the ban, burning of residential waste, including yard debris and grasses not contained in an approved burning pit are prohibited.
Agricultural or orchard burning may be allowed, if permitted by the Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority.
Residential outdoor burning in violation of the ban may be subject to a $1,000 fine, arrest and/or jail time, according to a Yakima County press release on the ban.
