Burning banned on reservation until Dec. 1

(Seattle–Nov. 27, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is continuing burn bans on several reservations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho because of continuing stagnant air conditions and air monitor readings indicating diminished air quality in the region. The burn bans for the reservations listed below will continue. There is also a burn ban in place for the Colville Reservation.

A burn ban is in place until 10:00am Saturday Nov. 30 for the following reservations west of the Cascades and in Oregon:

Stillaguamish Reservation

Muckleshoot Reservation

Nisqually Reservation

Chehalis Reservation

Tulalip Reservation

Puyallup Reservation

Warm Springs Reservation

A burn ban is in place until 10:00am Sunday Dec. 1 for the following reservations east of the Cascades:

Spokane Reservation

Colville Reservation

Kootenai Reservation

Yakama Reservation

The burn ban applies to all outdoor and agricultural burning, including camping and recreational fires within reservation boundaries. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the outdoor burn ban.

EPA requests that reservation residents reduce all sources of air pollution, including excess driving and idling of vehicles, and the use of woodstoves and fireplaces, unless it is your only source of heat.

Air pollution can have significant health impacts. Cooperation from the community will help people who are at risk during this period. Those most at risk are children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with difficulty breathing and with heart and lung problems. Those at risk should avoid outdoor exercise and minimize exposure to outdoor pollution as much as possible.

Please call 1-800-424-4EPA and ask for the FARR Hotline or visit the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) website for the current burn status at http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/FARR.htm.