Both King and Pierce County have issued burn bans for unincorporated residents starting July 1, but neither will affect the Fourth of July holiday.

“Although we might see some showers this week, these past months we have seen unusually dry and warm weather making conditions ripe for fires,” Chris Ricketts, King County Fire Marshal, said in a press release. “As trees, underbrush, and grassy fields dry out, they can become a threat to nearby homes. We need to minimize risks as we head into fire season.”

Both burn bans are Stage 1. In King County, this means:

– All outdoor burning is prohibited, except for recreational fires in approved devices and locations.

– All burning permits are suspended until further notice and no additional permits will be issued in the unincorporated areas of King County.

– Recreational fires must be in a designated fire pit using only charcoal or dry firewood (no milled lumber).

Pierce County has the same rules, but adds that recreational fires must:

– Be built in a metal or concrete fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal

– Grow no larger than three feet in diameter

– Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches

– Be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire like hand tools and a charged garden hose or not less than two 5 gallon buckets of water

– No burning when winds exceed 5 mph

The bans do not apply to setting off fireworks between the hours of 9 a.m. to midnight in unincorporated King County only on July 4, or in Pierce County, between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. July 1 – 3, and 10 a.m. to midnight on July 4.