Burn ban eased, then lifted in unincorporated Pierce County

Summer fire restrictions are over in unincorporated Pierce County. On Sept. 30, Fire Marshal Ken Rice lifted the burn ban, effective immediately, as the statewide burn ban expired.

Two weeks earlier, on Sept. 15, the county had stepped down from Stage 2 to Stage 1, which allowed small recreational fires in approved fire pits again but still banned land-clearing and yard-debris burning.

Officials said cooler, wetter weather reduced the wildfire risk. People who live inside Orting city limits should check with the city for its own burn rules, which are separate from the county's.