Local authorities on Thursday lifted a Clark County burn ban that had been in place for nearly a week. The ban was lifted because of favorable weather patterns and improving air quality, according to the Southwest Clean Air Agency.
Thursday’s announcement means residents are again free to use wood stoves and fireplaces.
Stubbornly stagnant air patterns and poor air quality last week prompted the agency to impose a Stage One burn ban, partially restricting the use of wood stoves, fireplaces and insets. When conditions didn’t improve, a Stage Two ban that took effect earlier this week prohibited the use of all indoor burning units, except in homes that rely on wood burning as their only heat source. That ban was lifted at 12 p.m. Thursday.
The National Weather Service in Portland also removed an air stagnation advisory on Thursday that had been in place for much of the week.
Clean air agency officials still stressed that wood burning puts pollutants in the air, and encouraged residents to burn as cleanly as possible.
