Grant County Burn Ban Goes into Effect June 1st

Grant County's annual burn ban will soon take effect June 1st, lasting at least until September 30th.

The ban only applies to unincorporated areas of the county. Grant County commissioners have the authority to extend the ban if needed.

According to an ordinance passed in 2017, burning in the county is prohibited except in select types of cases:

• Agricultural field burning or orchard burning is allowed if permitted by the Department of Ecology.
• Camp fires are permitted in approved devices at public campgrounds when allowed by the campground authority. This does not affect fires at state or federal campgrounds in approved devices.
• Recreational fires are allowed in private pits in residences when surrounded by 25 feet of non-combustible space. A charged water line must be present and the fire must be attended at all times.
• Gas and charcoal barbeques are generally allowed. Cooking fires are also allowed for large public and private events, but must be permitted by the Grant County Fire Marshal's Office prior to the event.

Violating the burn ban could result in a $150 fine for the first infraction, increasing to $300 for a second and $500 for every infraction thereafter.

Burning household garbage and building materials is always prohibited in the county, as is the use of burn barrels.