(KITSAP COUNTY, Washington) - The Kitsap County Fire Chiefs Association, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Kitsap County Fire Marshal’s Office, announced this afternoon that they will impose a countywide outdoor burning ban effective 8:00am on Monday, July 22nd.

Although state air quality regulations spurred a permanent outdoor burning ban within the County’s more densely-populated areas in January of 2001, outdoor fires have remained permissible in many areas of Kitsap. However, increasing concerns about current fire danger levels have led officials to impose the temporary total ban.

Moisture content in local vegetation is dangerously low. No additional precipitation and warm temperatures are forecast for the upcoming week. The wildfire situation in the Western U.S. remains severe, and fire officials are concerned that local resources could quickly become stretched if additional help is needed there. Already, a team consisting of local firefighters and equipment has been mobilized to assist with major fires burning in Oregon. Because a large portion of local brush fires are sparked by unattended and/or improperly extinguished outdoor fires, officials hope to reduce the potential for these incidents by imposing the ban.

Under an outdoor burning ban, all burning permits are temporarily suspended and no outdoor burning is allowed. Cooking fires - in contained barbecue units only - are permitted.

It will require significant and sustained rainfall to decrease local fire danger, and it is unknown when the ban will be lifted. Interested citizens can check on the status of the ban by utilizing local burn ban information lines: