Community Police & Fire

Pierce County steps up burn ban as fires rage in nearby communities

The Pierce County Fire Marshal’s Office and county fire chiefs instituted a State 2 burn ban in unincorporated Pierce County on Thursday, July 10.

The county had been under a State 1 burn ban since June 1, but that applied only to land clearing and burning yard debris. Stage 2 expands the ban to include all outdoor burning, including “burn pits, backyard fire pits or backyard fireplaces,” according to the fire marshal’s office.

Cooking fires, including charcoal and gas grills and smokers, are still OK if they are on a concrete or other non-combustible surface.

The office said the ban is in response to “numerous grass fires and urban wildfires recently” in Pierce County.

Kitsap County fire officials instituted a Stage 1 burn ban on Wednesday, July 9.

Nearby wildfires

Not far away, an 85-acre wildfire forced evacuations this week in the Mason County community of Belfair.

The Toonerville Fire started on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 8, in the Toonerville Road area of north Mason County. It remains 0% contained as of Thursday, according to the North Mason Regional Fire Authority.

About 50 homes were evacuated. Firefighters asked others to be ready to do so. 

Further away, the Bear Gulch Fire near Lake Cushman has burned about 415 acres in the Olympic National Forest. That fire also is 0% contained. 

Temperatures will soar next week

Despite the fires, air quality remains classified as “good” in most of Western Washington. Check the Washington Smoke Blog for updated information.

Weather forecasters predict conditions will only get worse for firefighters. After a relatively cool Thursday, temperatures will soar into the 80s again over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

By Wednesday, July 16, high temperatures in the mid-90s are forecast.

The Toonerville Fire near Belfair. Photo courtesy North Mason Regional Fire Authority