WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – No doubt about it, we live in a beautiful corner of the country. We’re surrounded by nature’s art, including a canopy of trees and greenery covering the nearby foothills and up into the Cascade Mountain range.

With the blessing of all that beauty comes potential risk. Especially during the summertime.

As the days get longer, hotter and drier, foliage begins to dry out. Those drier conditions, along with the summer campfires and lightning strikes, are a tinderbox for wildfires.

That’s why local fire districts, counties, Tribes, and the State Department of Natural Resources impose summer burn bans that limit outdoor, residential, agricultural and forest burning.

In Whatcom County, the Stage 1* burn ban runs from June 15 through September 15 (potentially longer, depending on weather conditions.) According to the County Fire Marshall, that means burn permits are suspended and no land-clearing or yard debris burning is allowed.

But the restrictions don’t mean we can’t burn at all.

Recreational fires are allowed, if they meet these requirements:

  • Use only seasoned firewood or charcoal
  • At least 25’ away from structures, timber, combustible materials
  • Contained in a space no larger than 3’x3’ with at least 16” high containment of cement blocks, stones or steel
  • Where allowed, beach fires must be in a pit, surrounded by a 4” rock enclosure
  • A charged garden hose or two 5-gallon buckets of water are next to the fire
  • A rake or shovel to extinguish the fire is on-site
  • Recreational fires allowed after dark if attended by someone over age 16
  • No burning if winds above 7mph
  • Must be attended until out cold

These aren’t suggestions: they are legal requirements. Burn violations could result in fines starting at $250. If a campfire spreads, the fire-starter will be liable for the cost of containment and could be criminally charged.

All that to say: yes, there is a burn ban, but you can still enjoy your summertime s’mores. Just do so safely, for the sake of both our beautiful wildlands and urban neighborhoods.

*Note: if conditions get drier, the Fire Marshall could impost more restrictive burn ban stage.

Amy Cloud is the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management.  She was born and raised locally, leaving for Whitman College and work in Seattle, Knoxville and Washington, D.C. She returned to work as Supervising News Producer and reporter for KVOS-TV’s NewsView before switching to communications for WWU, PeaceHealth and the City of Bellingham. She also co-chairs the Community PIO Group and is a member of the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues.