Effective immediately, the Washington Department of Natural Resources bans all outdoor burning in Clallam County. Those who start or spread fires are subject to civil and criminal penalties.

With dangerously hot and dry weather driving fire danger to a new high, the DNR is expanding the current statewide burn ban to cover all outdoor burning on all DNR-protected lands, with no exceptions, the agency announced on Monday.

In addition, DNR urges extreme caution around any activity that may cause a fire to start. Under these severe fire-hazard conditions, logging operations, land clearing, road and utility right-of-way maintenance, use of spark-emitting equipment and other activities that create a high risk of fire ignition should be drastically curtailed.

Those who negligently allow fire to spread or who knowingly place forestlands in danger of destruction or damage are subject to possible civil liabilities and criminal penalties under state law. DNR, as well as anyone harmed by such a fire, may pursue damages that include loss of property and fire suppression costs.

Property owners should maintain a 30-foot defensible space around all structures, with no organic fuel, to create a green zone of protection around their personal property.