Burn ban will go into effect Thursday

"A burn ban will go into effect Thursday, July 27, for all of Kitsap County, county fire officials announced Monday.The ban was announced by the Kitsap County Fire Chiefs Association, the county Fire Marshal's Office and the state Department of Natural Resources. It is a result of recent dry conditions.After consulting with the Department of Natural Resources, it was decided that with the current vegetation moisture content being so low, conditions are too dry for safe outdoor burning, said Chief Jim Shields, president of the Kitsap County Fire Chief's Association, in a press release. Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue and other county fire districts have responded to a higher-than-usual number of brush fires recently, according to CKFR spokesperson Judy Knudtzen. Brush fires have been a bigger problem than in some years due in part to strong winds, according to Shields.The burn ban will remain in effect until further notice. Knudtzen said that in most years, the ban lasts until September or October.This is actually a little bit later than it normally is put on, Knudtzen said. Sometimes it's as early as the Fourth of July.Under the outdoor burn ban, all burning permits temporarily are suspended. Cooking fires are allowed only if they are in contained barbecue units. A separate burn ban, which will prohibit outdoor burns in urban areas, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2001.For more information, call the Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue burn ban information line at 478-2692."

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