Outdoor burning in Cowlitz County will be restricted starting June 21, nearly a month earlier than normal due to riskier than average fire conditions, the county Fire Marshal’s Office announced Monday.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Chief Dave LaFave said that current fire conditions are comparable to what firefighters usually see around mid to late July.
“The forecasted weather is a continued pattern of dry and warm, lower humidities and wind,” LaFave said. “Those are the very things that, when they come into alignment, we start seeing more fires developing into larger fires and faster moving fires.”
The ban covers land clearing and most outdoor burning on residential and unimproved (forested) property. It applies to all parts of Cowlitz County.