Effective immediately, no indoor or outdoor wood burning is allowed in the Columbia Valley urban growth area (including the Peaceful Valley and Paradise Lakes developments) in Whatcom County because cold, calm air is preventing harmful wood smoke from clearing out, according to the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
Fine particles in wood smoke are harmful because they can be inhaled deeply into lungs and damage delicate tissues. During this Stage 2 burn ban, all burning is prohibited unless a woodstove is your only adequate source of heat.
- No burning is allowed in any wood-burning fireplaces, woodstoves,
fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified), or pellet stoves. - No outdoor fires of any kind are allowed. This includes burning of
yard waste, land clearing, agricultural burning, and forest burning, plus
recreational fires in devices like backyard fire kettles, chimneys, and fire
pits.
These burning limits will remain in effect until further notice. Check NWCAA website (https://nwcleanairwa.gov/) and NWCAA’s Facebook page for up-to-date information.
Burn ban violators could face fines and other enforcement actions. Remember that it is always illegal to produce excess chimney smoke and impact your neighbors. It is also illegal to burn trash.
The burn ban is based on weather forecasts and current air pollution from small particles. Right now, air quality is predicted to be worse than the national health-based standard for at least 24 hours.
Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung
and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults age 65 and older.
The Northwest Clean Air Agency is responsible for enforcing federal, state, and local air quality regulations in Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties. In addition to permitting and regulating industrial sources of air pollution, the agency provides services and information related to asbestos, outdoor burning, wood smoke and wildfire smoke, and air quality data.
