BLM issues amended fire restrictions order for North Central Washington amid wildfire risk

SPOKANE — The Spokane District Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has issued an amended fire restrictions order, effective July 19, for lands administered by the BLM and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in North Central and Eastern Washington counties.

The order, which applies to Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima counties, prohibits building, maintaining, attending, or using fires, campfires, or stove fires, including charcoal briquette fires. Liquefied and bottled gas stoves and heaters are permitted with proper clearance.

Operating motorized vehicles off developed roadways is also prohibited, and parking must be done in areas barren of flammable materials. Vehicles on public lands must carry a shovel and either a one-gallon container of water or a fully charged 2.5-pound fire extinguisher. Motorcycles and All-Terrain Vehicles must have functioning U.S. Forest Service approved spark arrestors.

Smoking while traveling in timber, brush, or grass areas is prohibited, except in vehicles on roads, cleared areas, or on boats on rivers and lakes. Discharging or using tracer, steel component, or incendiary ammunition is also prohibited, with an exception for hunting with steel component ammunition.

Violations of the order may result in fines up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 12 months, as well as restitution for fire suppression and damage costs. The restrictions are in response to the increased fire risk in the region and aim to prevent wildfires on federal lands.