Press Release
Sheriff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kittitas County Burn Ban to End September 30

Kittitas County, WA - 09/28/2026 - Kittitas County Fire Marshal Dan Young announced that the county’s burn ban will be lifted at noon on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, when the Governor’s statewide burn ban ends.

Kittitas County bases its burn ban decisions on fire conditions, not a fixed calendar date. The Fire Marshal and local stakeholders use agreed-upon measures that include the moisture content of wildfire fuels, current and forecast weather, and relative humidity. Those measures now support lifting the county restriction on recreational fires and open burning.
Conditions improved before the statewide ban was scheduled to end. The county kept its ban in place until noon September 30 so residents would receive one clear message about when burning could resume under both county and state restrictions.
Lifting the ban does not eliminate the risk of a fire spreading. Keep fires away from combustible material, have water or other extinguishing equipment ready, and attend your fire until it is completely out. Do not burn garbage or construction debris. Open burning is prohibited when winds or gusts exceed 10 mph unless prior approval has been obtained.
The cities of Cle Elum, Roslyn, and Kittitas, and the town of South Cle Elum, will also allow recreational fires beginning at noon September 30.
Rules on public lands may differ. For questions about burning on lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources, call 509-925-8510; on Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife lands, call 360-902-2515; and on U.S. Forest Service lands, call 509-852-1100.
For questions about burning in unincorporated Kittitas County, contact the Fire Marshal’s Office at 509-962-7000.

• Lifting of Ban 2026.2.jpg

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Fire Marshal Dan Young
509-962-7000

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