Vancouver, WA – Effective immediately, recreational fires are now prohibited under the current land clearing burn ban throughout unincorporated Clark County.

The recreational fire prohibition follows a similar statewide ban imposed yesterday by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The state is prohibiting all outdoor burning, including campfires in fire pits and the use of charcoal briquettes in state forests, parks and lands protected by Natural Resources firefighters.

“We’ve had several smaller brush and grass fires in the county this season, and expanding the ban to include recreational fires adds a layer of prevention to avoid more or larger incidents,” said Fire Marshal Jon Dunaway. “Looking at the current conditions and the extended forecast, we need to implement this ban immediately.”

Creating a defensible space around a home helps prevent wildfires from spreading to a residence, or vice versa. Dunaway recommends the following measures in both rural and urban areas:

• Remove fuel
  • Within 3-5 feet of foundations, outbuildings, garages and sheds
  • Within 10 feet of a house
  • Under decks and porches
  • From gutters, eaves, porches and decks
• Cut the lawn if it is brown. Dispose of debris and cuttings.
• Prune trees so lowest branches are 6-10 feet above the ground.
• Landscape with native and flame-resistant plants.

Self-contained camp stoves, which are not banned, are a safe and easy alternative for outdoor cooking.

For more information, please contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at (360) 397-2186 or visit www.clark.wa.gov/community-development/outdoor-burning.

CONTACT
Jon Dunaway
Fire Marshal
(360) 397-2186 ext. 3324
jon.dunaway@clark.wa.gov