A Stage 1 burn ban in Stevens County begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, and continues through noon Friday, Jan. 6, when it could either be called off or extended depending on how weather conditions affects air quality.

The Washington Department of Ecology is calling the ban because air quality has remained poor over the past few days. Colville-area air quality isn’t expected to improve over the coming days even though moderate to strong winds have been blowing through much of Eastern Washington.

Under a Stage 1 ban, all outdoor burning is prohibited, including residential, agricultural and forest burning. Use of uncertified wood stoves, fireplaces, inserts, and other uncertified wood-burning devices is prohibited unless they are a home’s only adequate source of heat. Cleaner burning, certified wood stoves, pellet stoves and other certified wood-burning devices are allowed.

Call 866-211-6284 if you think someone is illegally burning or you are impacted by smoke.

Up-to-date burn ban information is available at www.waburnbans.net.

Ecology’s burn bans do not apply on tribal reservations, where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has jurisdiction. Call 800-424-4372 for tribal burn ban information or visit EPA’s Washington Burn Ban page on their website.