Due to rising fire danger, the Kitsap County Fire Marshal is moving to a Phase 2 burn ban starting July 10.

A Phase 2 burn ban prohibits all outdoor recreational burning in the unincorporated areas of Kitsap County. The ban begins Saturday and remains in effect until lifted. “Continued seasonal warm, dry weather has dried all fuels to a critical point where no outdoor burning is safe,” said David Lynam, county fire marshal.

This action goes beyond the governor’s recent proclamation and prohibits all outdoor burning including charcoal briquettes and recreational/campfires. No outdoor fires are allowed except in free standing barbecue appliances using natural gas or propane fuel. BBQ appliances should be used on hard non-combustible surfaces.

“We are several weeks ahead of our normal drying pattern due to the heat wave in June. Wildfires in Eastern Washington are growing together, and all available resources are headed that way. Kitsap has resources available but if something kicks off, resources from other areas are tight,” Lynam added.

Burn bans are not anticipated to be lifted until sometime this fall with the return of seasonal rains. This ban and others that are imposed due to fire danger are not the same as the air quality burn bans implemented by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.