Board bans large land burning in King County
May 7, 2008
By Ed Farrell
Ban goes into effect July 1
In 2007, more than 100 permits were issued to allow for large-scale land-clearing burns within the area serviced by Eastside Fire and Rescue.
After July 1, a permanent ban will go into effect, eliminating what has been traditionally viewed as the most cost-effective method of clearing a land of vegetation for development.
The ban will not affect small cooking and recreational fires within the North Bend city limits and unincorporated areas of King County, but such fires are already banned inside the Snoqualmie city limits.
“This ban applies only to developers who are clearing land to build houses and new subdivisions,” said Alice Collingwood, a spokeswoman for the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. “It does not apply to people who are just cleaning up their own backyards of limbs, branches and leaves.”
Collingwood stressed, however, that various jurisdictions have different rules regarding burning that will not be covered by the land-clearing ban.
“There are urban boundary lines where burning has been prohibited for many years,” Collingwood said, “and if there’s any doubt, people need to check with their local fire department.”
For Snoqualmie city residents, the new ban will have no impact whatsoever; burning – all types of burning – has long been banned within the city limits, according to Todd Reynolds, battalion chief with the Snoqualmie Fire Department.
Mark Lawrence, assistant fire marshal for EFR, said residents in North Bend and other unincorporated county areas will be able to have certain types of burns provided they get proper permits.
Lawrence said permits to allow recreational and cooking fires, typically described as no bigger than 2-foot by 3-foot in size, will continue to be allowed with a permit.
“We’re basically talking about a little campfire,” Lawrence said.
Aside from size, only certain fuels, such as charcoal and dry-seasoned firewood, are allowed in such fires, he said.
There is no charge for a permit for such fires, Lawrence said, but applicants must come to a fire station to obtain the permit.
“That gives us a chance to educate the homeowner on fire safety,” he said.
Another type of fire not covered by the larger land-clear ban is what is referred to as a “residential” burning.
“That would be a fire for yard waste, natural vegetation, grass, leaves, tree prunings,” Lawrence said, noting that it would typically be only for a single-family property.
Such fires are currently banned within the North Bend city limits, but are allowable in some unincorporated areas of King County, he said.
As for the larger land-clearing variety of burns, Lawrence said such fires have been very popular in the past, with more than 100 permits issued in 2007.
He said his office does not have an updated file of requests for 2008, and said he had no idea whether there has been an increase of requests given the July 1 ban.
“I haven’t seen an increase,” Lawrence said, “but a permit can be obtained at any career-manned fire station. They don’t necessarily have to come in (to the main office).”
Collingwood said the Puget Sound board had considered banning all forms of residential outdoor burning starting in October, but delayed a decision on that matter.
The board determined that ample alternatives to land-clearing burns were available in King County, such as curbside pickup, chipping on-site, and drop-off sites.
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