FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2012
Fire danger rating drops in Okanogan County and other parts of northeast Washington
Burn restrictions will be removed
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced today that the fire danger rating will be lowered in more northeast areas of the state.
Effective at 12:01 a.m., Tuesday, October 23, 2012, the fire danger rating in Okanogan County will drop from ‘high’ to ‘moderate.’ At the same time, the fire danger rating in Spokane, Stevens, Lincoln, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties will drop from ‘moderate’ to ‘low.’
Rule burning (burning small piles while following the rules) and permit burning (burning larger piles that require a permit) will be allowed in Okanogan, Spokane, Stevens, Lincoln, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties. People are reminded to be careful when burning by following these simple steps:
- Put a fire break around your fire
- Do not leave the fire unattended
- Put the fire out every night
- If wind speeds increase, put out your fire
- Check before burning by calling 1-800-323-BURN or visit www.dnr.wa.gov for current burning conditions
The Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) Hotline is updated each afternoon around 5 p.m. For the IFPL in your work zone, call 1-800-527-3305.
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 Contact: Janet Pearce, Communications Manager, 360-902-1122, janet.pearce@dnr.wa.gov
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