Burn ban imposed

EPHRATA – The Grant County Board of Commissioners has imposed a temporary ban on outdoor burning effective Tuesday, Aug. 13, to a date to be determined.

The ban prohibits all outdoor burning until further notice and will be lifted once conditions improve. If citizens are caught burning, they could face fines and other consequences.

With the hot, dry, arid conditions, and a heavy load of dry grass and sage brush throughout the county, officials are anticipating new wildfires to ignite.

• Emergency Management urges citizens to:
• Take yard debris to the county landfill or recycling centers.
• Use caution when mowing or working with other equipment that could spark.
• Call 9-1-1 if you spot a fire, large column of smoke, or suspicious activity.

The county burn ban does not change the burn ban already imposed on all cities in Grant County. When the countywide burn ban is lifted, the Ecology burn bans for all cities will still be in place.

The county ban does not affect fires at campgrounds in fire pits or agricultural burning permitted by the Washington Department of Ecology such as the burning of field crop residue and orchard tear out residue.

For more information on agro burning, contact the Department of Ecology at 509-329-3400.