Inslee declares wildfire state of emergency, burn ban

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday declared a state of emergency throughout Washington relating to the growing risk of wildfires, including a statewide prohibition on most outdoor and agricultural burning through Sept. 30.

“We don’t want a repeat of recent years with dangerous wildfires across the state that have destroyed towns, killed livestock and resulted in weeks of unhealthy air quality,” Inslee said in a new release, adding that the state is facing a historic drought and has already seen a deadly record-breaking heat wave. “We must be vigilant in our efforts to prevent wildfires and the loss of life and destruction of land and property that comes with them.”

Prohibited outdoor burning includes campfires, bonfires, residential yard debris clean-up, trash disposal, land clearing, weed abatement, and agricultural burning activity, according to the proclamation.