Effective Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, the King County Fire Chiefs have issued a ‘Stage 2’ Fire Safety Burn Ban, which prohibits recreational fires until further notice.

This means all outdoor fires, including recreational campfires, cooking fires, and ceremonial fires, are prohibited until further notice due to critical fire weather.

The Stage 2 Fire Safety Burn Ban is in response to the fire safety Red Flag Warning issued today by the National Weather Service covering all of King County and the Puget Sound Region.

The King County Fire Chiefs, King County Fire Marshals, and jurisdictions throughout King County have joined together to issue this Stage Two burn ban covering all parts of King County.

“This ban will be in place until further notice due to the continuing hot and dry weather conditions we are experiencing,” said Kirkland Fire Marshal Mark Jung, speaking on behalf of the King County Fire Marshals Association. “The Fire Marshals are carefully monitoring the fuel moisture content and energy release component of wildland fuels in the area. When these measures return to more typical values, the ban will be terminated.”

While all outdoor fires are banned, propane or natural-gas fired grills, fireplaces, fire tables, other gas-fired appliances and charcoal grills may continue to be used. Fire Marshals urge caution when disposing of charcoal remains.