Ban covers 12 million acres

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Washington state commissioner of public lands has ordered a statewide burn ban starting Tuesday because of hot, dry and windy weather conditions.

Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said the order issued Tuesday will remain in effect through Sept. 30 unless fire conditions improve.

The ban covers all 12 million acres of public and private forestland under the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ fire protection. The announcement comes after a spike in wildfires over the weekend. Currently, four large fires are burning in Washington, the largest of which is near Wenatchee, Franz said.

“Recent hot weather has set the stage for fires to start easily and grow quickly – any spark can set off a megafire,” Franz said in a news release. “I ask that we all do our part to prevent wildfires and keep our communities safe by abiding by this burn ban and being extremely cautious when it comes to activities that could start a fire.”

The fire risk, she said, is growing each day due to the heat coupled with winds in the forecast across Washington.

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