A Stage 1 burn band has been issued for King and Snohomish Counties due to increasingly stagnant weather conditions, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. This ban remains in effect until further notice.

“We need to keep our air healthy every day of the year, including holidays,” said Craig Kenworthy, Executive Director of the Clean Air Agency. “Stagnant conditions over the next few days are expected to cause pollution levels to exceed federal air quality standards and become unhealthy.”

There is no burning allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves during a Stage 1 burn ban. Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat, such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters, for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home’s only adequate source of heat.

No outdoor fires are allowed during the ban, which includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.

“It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA-certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban,” said Puget Sound Clean Air Agency spokeswoman Kimberley Cline.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors, especially when exercising. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung and heart problems, people with diabetes, children and seniors.

The purpose of a burn ban is to reduce the amount of pollution that is creating unhealthy air. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation.