EPA lifts burn ban for reservations in Washington’s Snohomish and Pierce counties

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lifted burn bans on some Indian reservations in Washington’s Snohomish and Pierce counties this week, following improved weather conditions.

Tulalip, Stillaguamish, Sauk-Suiattle and Puyallup Indian Reservations are no longer under outdoor burn bans, which applied to all recreational and agricultural fires. The bans were enacted following stagnant conditions and increased air pollution, which can have a significant effect on vulnerable community members like children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those suffering from heart or lung conditions, among others.

The EPA expressed gratitude for the reservation residents' efforts to promote air quality during the burn ban. The agency also emphasized the continuation of the burn ban in Yakama Nation Reservation, where the weather has not improved.