A Stage 2 burn ban – no burning in fireplaces or wood stoves unless you have no other source of heat – went into effect here at noon today and will last until 6 a.m.
Due to a days-long inversion we currently have some of the worst air quality in the country. Cliff Mass wrote about it here.
Rain beginning later today is expected to scrub the atmosphere.
According to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:
• No burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, certified or uncertified wood stoves or fireplace inserts. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.
• The only exception is if the homeowner has a previously approved ‘No Other Adequate Source of Heat’ designation from the Clean Air Agency
• No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
• Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
It is OK to use natural gas and propane stoves or inserts during a Stage 2 burn ban.
