Clean air officials have lifted a countywide burn ban due to changing weather and improving air quality.
The Southwest Clean Air Agency announced an end to the ban Thursday, meaning residents are free to use wood stoves and fireplaces, but are asked to do so as cleanly as possible.
The clean air agency earlier this week imposed a Stage 1 burn ban, which prohibits outdoor burning, the use of all fireplaces and uncertified wood stoves generally older than 1990. Burn bans in the fall and winter are often prompted by stagnant air patterns and high levels of fine-particle pollution.
The clean air agency urges people to burn only dry, seasoned firewood and follow proper burning practices when using fireplaces.