With the mercury set to climb as we head towards summer, Pierce County officials are proactively sounding the alarm: A burn ban will commence on June 1 at 8 a.m. for all unincorporated areas of the county, and residents are urged to be prepared. The Stage 1 ban targets the burning of yard waste and land clearing debris, but it won’t put a damper on your barbecue plans or evening fire pit gatherings, so long as they align with established safety guidelines.
Announced earlier in a Pierce County statement, this yearly preemptive measure is designed to curtail the risks associated with drier, warmer spells that pose an increased threat of fire spread, potentially imperiling life and property. These speculations about the weather, made by the Pierce County Fire Marshal in coordination with the Pierce County Fire Chiefs’ Association, dictate the ban’s necessity, keen on avoiding last-minute rushes and frustrations that were widespread in previous years due to less predictable start dates.
The decision to set a fixed date for the burn ban’s activation was made with the community’s best interest in mind. “We’re giving the community more than a month’s notice so people have time to burn yard debris or complete land clearing before the ban begins,” declared Pierce County Fire Marshal Ken Rice in a statement accessed via the Pierce County website. This change is hoped to facilitate better planning and fewer headaches when June rolls around…