The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 will continue a burn ban on all outdoor burning on the Yakama Reservation and the Warm Springs Reservation through till Monday, October 1st due to the impact of smoke from wild fires. This smoke has caused monitor readings to approach and at time exceed the unhealthy level for sensitive groups. Weather patterns and expectations for control of these wild fires would indicate that conditions will not improve significantly over the next several days. Therefore these burn bans will be in place through till Monday, October 1st when the situation will be re-evaluated.
These burn bans apply to all outdoor and agricultural burning, including camping and recreational fires within reservation boundaries. Ceremonial and traditional fires are exempt from the outdoor burn ban.
Also an Air Quality Burn Advisory will continue in effect for the Colville and the Spokane Reservations. EPA requests that residents and businesses on these reservations refrain from outdoor burning including agricultural, forestry, and recreational fires within reservation boundaries. This advisory will be reviewed on Thursday, October 1st..
EPA also requests that reservation residents reduce all sources of air pollution, including excess driving and idling of vehicles, and the use of woodstoves and fireplaces, unless it is your only source of heat.
Air pollution can have significant health impacts. Cooperation from the community will help people who are at risk during this period. Those most at risk are children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with difficulty breathing and with heart and lung problems. Those at risk should avoid outdoor exercise and minimize exposure to outdoor pollution as much as possible.
Please call 1-800-424-4EPA and ask for the FARR Hotline or visit the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) website for the current burn status at www.epa.gov/r10earth/FARR.htm.