Annual Eastside Fire & Rescue Burn Ban Starts June 15 and Ends Sept. 30

The communities within Eastside Fire & Rescue (EF&R) are beautiful locations that offer some of the finest living in the West Coast. Our beautiful neighborhoods cover relatively mountainous terrain urban in nature, with fences and yards.

Many neighborhoods are built in the wooded hills and grasslands that surround our towns. Homes in areas surrounded by vegetation have become very popular these days. These neighborhoods create what we term as the wildland urban interface.

Although our wet spring season can lead many to believe that we may not have a need for the moratorium this year, we will experience warmer days very soon. The authorized seasonal burning moratorium is an appropriate precautionary measure in reducing fire danger.

EF&R begins their annual burning moratorium on June 15. Anyone living within the boundaries of EF&R needs to be aware of these guidelines:

Cooking & Recreational Burning “Permit Required” (No fee permit)

• Not subject to June 15 through September 30 seasonal burn ban moratorium.
• Cooking & Recreational fires shall use only dry seasoned wood.
• Propane, natural gas & charcoal fires do not require a burn permit.
• Cooking & Recreational fires shall not be larger than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height.
• A recreational fire is the same as a cooking fire but without the food.
• Fires (with or without food) shall be contained in a barbecue pit, fire ring or other approved appliances such as manufactured portable fireplace units now available at retailers around the region.  
• Any fire using wood is subject to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency burn ban.

Land Clear Burning

• Land clear burning has been permanently banned within King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties.

Residential Burning. “Permit Required”  (No fee permit)

• Subject to EF&R burn ban moratorium June 15 through September 30 each year.
• DNR or Forest Service property. (EF&R does not issue permits in this area.)
• Subject to Puget Sound Clean Air Agency burn ban.

Facts about the seasonal burning moratorium:

• A seasonal burning moratorium on residential burning only is in place for areas within EF&R
• Outdoor cooking or recreational burning (campfires) require a no-fee burn permit
• Land clear permits have been permanently banned in our county since July 2008
• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency may impose a countywide burn ban for air-quality conditions
• King County Fire Marshal’s Office may impose a burn ban due to extreme fire danger
• Fire weather outlook for this year indicates that our summer season will be warmer and dryer
• Brush fires significantly increase during the summer months
• ER&R has already responded to fourteen brush fires between May 1 to June 15
• For the safety of our community and fire danger potential, EF&R imposes a burning moratorium each year between June 15 and September 30
• You can help protect your home against wildfires by building a defensible space around your home:  www.firewise.org or www.eastsidefire-rescue.org

For burn ban information contact Puget Sound Clean Air Agency at: 1-800-595-4341. For questions on Eastside Fire & Rescue’s annual moratorium please contact: 425-313-3200.

-- This information is from Eastside Fire & Rescue. It is being posted as a public service announcement. The fire agency has three stations in Sammamish.