FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2012
Fire danger rating increases in portions of Stevens County
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today the following change in the fire danger rating in portions of Stevens County.
Effective 12:01 a.m., July 27, 2012, the following changes will be implemented:
- In Stevens County, outside of Fire Districts 1 & 2, the fire danger rating will increase
from ‘low’ to ‘moderate.’
Reminder:
- Ferry and Okanogan counties will remain ‘moderate.’
- Pend Oreille will remain ‘low.’
- Lincoln and Spokane counties, and Stevens County, inside Fire Districts 1 & 2, will
remain ‘high.’
Daily updates on burn restrictions are available at 1-800-323-BURN or on DNR’s website at www.dnr.wa.gov, then click on ‘fire information and prevention’ and go to ‘wildfire related maps.’ The ‘burn risk map’ link is in the bottom right-hand corner.
Statewide burn ban
In an effort to reduce human-caused wildfires, DNR issued a statewide burn ban on all DNR-protected lands, effective July 1, 2012, through September 30, 2012. The ban includes all forestlands in Washington except for federal lands. Campgrounds may have additional burn restrictions in place. Campers should check with their campground host before starting a campfire.
DNR’s wildfire mission
Administered by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, DNR is responsible for preventing and fighting wildfires on 12.7 million acres of private, state and tribal-owned forestlands. DNR is the state's largest on-call fire department, with over 1,000 employees trained and available to be dispatched to fires as needed. During fire season, this includes over 700 DNR employees who have other permanent jobs with the agency and about 400 seasonal employees hired for firefighting duties. Additionally, Department of Corrections’ adult offenders and Department of Social and Health Services-Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration juvenile offenders participate in the DNR Correctional Camps Program. DNR also participates in Washington's coordinated interagency approach to firefighting.
Media Contacts:
Janet Pearce, Community Outreach & Education, 360-902-1122, janet.pearce@dnr.wa.gov
Guy Gifford, Northeast Region, 509-990-6218, guy.gifford@dnr.wa.gov
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