TOPPENISH, Wash. – The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation issued a burn ban on Tue., June 25 in response to drought conditions and the Slide Ranch Fire burning on the Yakama Indian Reservation.
According to a press release, the ban is effective immediately and remains in place until further notice.
Yakama Nation says the burn ban applies to all outdoor burning, including weed burning, burn barrels, burn bins and bonfires.
Exceptions for the ban are ceremonial fires and woodstoves if they are the primary source of heat.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have also issued a open burn ban on its lands which comes into effect July 1.
The Slide Ranch Fire continues to burn near White Swan on the Yakama Indian Reservation, with 17 homes destroyed and 10 damaged as a result. As of June 26, the fire is 3,054 acres in size and 75 percent contained.
For more information, contact Terry Ganuelas from the Yakama Nation Environmental Management Program at 509-945-6657 or Program Manager Elizabeth Sanchey at 509-945-2939.
