Submitted by San Juan County Fire Marshal’s Office

Residential burning season will be opening, with limited hours, on Oct. 2. Burning with a permit will be allowed from dawn until noon daily beginning Monday. Burning status will have expanded hours when the moisture levels in the region increase. Permits can be obtained at your local fire district station; Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw. They also can be obtained online at www.sanjuanco.com/1091/Burn-Permits.

Commercial burn permits are not currently for sale, they will be later in the fall.

Residential burn permits are for the burning of natural materials such as yard waste and downed branches and trees and should be organized into piles no larger than 10 feet in diameter. Burning is only allowed outside of Urban Growth Areas, so check the status of your property prior to burning. A charged hose should be on site at all times.

The burning of garbage, construction scraps, plywood, or plastics is illegal and subject to ticketing and fines from San Juan County as well as the Washington State Department of Ecology.

If you have any questions please email the Fire Marshal’s Office at richardm@sanjuanco.com or call your local fire district.