Our burn ban is Pierce County’s earliest in recent years. Who decides when it starts?

It’s no secret that Washington summer weather norms are changing.

Predicting conditions — whether hot and dry, or cool and rainy — is becoming tougher due to climate vulnerability. This year brought two Pierce County firsts: a burn ban that began in early June (the earliest in recent years) and a ban on fireworks in Gig Harbor.

The burn ban is for unincorporated Pierce County and applies to all land clearing and yard debris outdoor burning, effective June 7 until further notice. It does not apply to small recreational fires in established pits at approved campgrounds (check park alerts for individual state park regulations) or on private property with the owner’s permission.

The use of gas and propane self-contained stoves and barbecues is also allowed.

“The ban goes into effect each year by the county fire marshal in consultation with area fire chiefs,” said Mike Halliday, public information specialist with Pierce County Emergency Management. “Several factors are considered, including field data from Washington State Department of Natural Resources, National Weather Service forecasts and local fire chiefs reviewing data from their departments.”

Last year’s burn ban became effective on August 5 (remember how rainy early summer was?).

The 2021 burn ban went into effect on June 25. In 2020 the burn ban date was July 30.

Halliday also notes that it is important to remember that the burn ban for unincorporated Pierce County is focused on burning for land clearing or disposing of yard trimmings, not recreational fires in fire pits or gas and charcoal barbecues.

Enjoying a recreational fire? The Fire Prevention Bureau advises that fires must be in a metal or concrete fire pit and not used as debris disposal. When debris is burned, harmful chemicals are released. Keep it under three feet in diameter and make sure it’s distanced from vegetation, overhanging branches, and any structure (at least 25 feet away from homes or other buildings with at least a 20-foot vertical clearance).

Don’t burn when winds exceed 5 mph, and have a water source nearby. Finally, always monitor the fire — and make sure you extinguish it. As the Department of Natural Resources advises: If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.

Fireworks bans

Last year, Gig Harbor passed an ordinance to ban the sale and discharge of fireworks within city limits. The prohibition does not apply to authorized public fireworks displays. This is the first year that the full ban was in effect. This is also the first year that Pierce County will only allow fireworks on July 4 and Dec. 31.

Under this ban, it is illegal for any person, firm, or corporation to sell, purchase, use, or explode fireworks within the city limits of Gig Harbor. Enforcement is through an infraction and violators are subject to a penalty of $1,000.

The ban was enacted for two reasons. The first was concern raised from residents about the negative impact from the indiscriminate discharge of fireworks on the health and welfare of both people and pets.

The second reason is climate vulnerability. The city acknowledged that warmer conditions are likely in the future and took a proactive step to help mitigate the risk of accidental burning from fireworks use in Washington’s driest season.

We’re living in a time of record-breaking heatwaves and changing summer conditions. A burn ban is inevitable at some point in the summer, even if the season starts out classically gray and rainy. Put simply, burn bans — and fireworks bans — can help lower human-caused wildfire risk.

Carly Vester has been writing an environmental column for The Peninsula Gateway since 2019. Her storytelling focuses on the intersection of people and the outdoors — from adventures across the west, to our environment and the rich history surrounding it. Her documentary films have screened internationally and her writing has been published locally and regionally.