Recreational fires now banned in Clark County

The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office, citing extreme fire danger, has extended its burn ban to include recreational fires.

Recreational fires are prohibited throughout unincorporated Clark County effective 12:01 a.m. today. General outdoor burning has been prohibited since June 25. Recreational fires have also been banned in the cities of La Center, Ridgefield and Woodland.

The ban joins one imposed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on its lands.

“The ongoing hot, dry weather, in addition to an unusually dry spring, has us concerned with how easy it is for a fire to be ignited by an escaped ember from a recreational fire. A small campfire can accidentally spread to adjacent properties very easily with our current dry conditions,” Clark County Fire Marshal Dan Young said in a news release.

The ban will remain in place until there is sufficient rainfall to lower the risk, the news release states.

Young recommended people create defensible space around their homes by: removing fuel from around residences, foundations, outbuildings, garages and sheds, from under decks and porches, and from gutters, eaves, porches and decks; mowing the lawn; pruning trees so the lowest branches are 6 to 10 feet above the ground; and landscaping with native and flame-resistant plants.