Fire Crews Called To Multiple Illegal Burns

Fire crews responded to several illegal burns reported throughout Chelan County on Saturday in Malaga, Peshastin, Lake Wenatchee and at Confluence State Park.

Chelan County Fire Information Officer Kay McKellar said "people may be forgetting or are not aware that open burning is banned in Chelan and Douglas County" The region is a high fire danger right now "some people are using a fire pit, some are using fire barrels to burn debris which is illegal in Washington state. We do have a burn ban and it would be a big help to the fire service to follow these restrictions and avoid open burning at this time"

As of Friday, July 2nd, all state parks were placed under a Level 3 or higher burn ban. A Level 3 Burn Ban prohibits the use of wood or charcoal fires, but propane fire pits are allowed. Level 4 prohibits open flame of any type. Gas/propane self-contained camping stoves and portable gas/propane fire pits allowed are currently allowed at Wenatchee Confluence State Park

Washington State DNR raised the fire danger level to high in most of Chelan and Douglas Counties and to very high in Grant, Kittitas and counties south of I-90 to the state border.

All outdoor burning is banned on DNR lands.

The WDFW also restricts campfires and other activities that might cause a fire on their lands.

Campfires, even in fire rings, smoking outside an enclosed vehicle, the discharge of firearms for anything other than lawful hunting, operation of chainsaws or driving on undeveloped roads are all temporarily banned on WDFW land.