BLM lifts fire restrictions; Spokane County and DNR still upholding theirs for now

The Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday lifted all fire restrictions on lands it manages across Washington as weather cools in the region, but other agencies are still upholding theirs.

The agency also announced in a news release that it’s still prohibiting the ignition of fireworks and exploding targets and encouraging community members to continue to be cautious when it comes to wildfires.

The Department of Natural Resources and Spokane Fire Department are still holding their fire restrictions in place – although that could change soon.

Guy Gifford, community resiliency assistant division manager with the State Department of Natural Resources, said if you want to have a fire at a campground on DNR lands, the answer is no.

“But things are going to be changing; they may be changing this Friday,” Gifford said.

Justin de Ruyter, public information officer for the Spokane Fire Department, said Spokane County will have meetings about possibly lifting its fire restrictions this week, but all outdoor open burning and recreational fires are still restricted.

He also said this time of year can still have larger fires, so the agency wants to make sure to proceed with caution.

“We can’t let our guard down yet,” de Ruyter said.

Considering there will be different restrictions in place, Gifford cautioned that anyone who goes camping or hunting this weekend needs to check whose land they are visiting.

“If I’m on the BLM property, I need to follow their rules,” he said. “The Forest Service still has burn restrictions in place, so if I’m camping on Forest Service Land Park Service, I need to check things.

“The key thing is that we tell people to check with the appropriate agency.”