OLYMPIA — For the third straight year the Washington Department of Natural Resources will ban outdoor burning this summer in state forests and all lands protected by DNR firefighters.
Spokeswoman Janet Pearce said it remains to be seen what effect the bigger-than-average snowpack this year will have on the wildfire season, which runs July through September.
The state burn ban will not affect federal lands, fires at campgrounds or the use of contained camp stoves and barbecues.
The DNR is responsible for fighting fires on nearly 13 million acres of state and private lands. The department puts more than 700 employees on firefighting duty and hires about 400 seasonal workers each summer to fight fires.
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