Stage 1 burn ban issued for Pierce County Friday afternoon | Environment

A Stage 1 burn ban is in effect throughout Pierce County starting at 4:00p.m. today.

The ban will remain in effect until further notice.

Air experts say dry, stagnant air throughout the county will increase air pollution, especially in neighborhoods where wood burning is a common source of heat.

Here's what the burn ban means from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency:

• No burning is allowed in fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves. Residents should rely instead on their home's other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled. The only exception is if a wood stove is a home's only adequate source of heat.
   
• No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas. It also includes burning yard waste and storm debris.
   
• Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.
   
• It is OK to use natural gas, propane, pellet and EPA certified wood stoves or inserts during a Stage 1 burn ban.