The Stage 2 burn ban for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties has been canceled, effective as of noon Saturday.

The stagnant weather pattern of this past week is finally eroding, bringing improved mixing and dispersion of the fine particle pollution – and ultimately, cleaner, healthier air, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency.

The Stage 2 burn ban, the first in about a decade, has been in effect for much of the week.

According to the agency, during a Stage 2 burn ban:

– NO burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled.

– Natural gas and propane stoves or inserts ARE allowed.

– Regulations prohibit the emission of any visible smoke, even if your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat.

– All outdoor burning is prohibited, even in areas where outdoor burning is not permanently banned. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas. Burning of storm and flood damage debris is also prohibited. The Clean Air Agency encourages people to take advantage of free flood-debris disposal coordinated by their county.

If agency inspectors see any smoke being emitted from a chimney during a Stage 2 burn ban, they can assume a fireplace, wood or pellet stove is in use and a penalty is warranted, according to the agency.

Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

Clean Air Agency staff will continue to monitor the situation to determine when the burn ban can be lifted. Check conditions and forecasts at www.pscleanair.org/airq/aqi.aspx#.

The Washington State Department of Health recommends that people who are sensitive to air pollution limit time spent outdoors. Air pollution can trigger asthma attacks, cause difficulty breathing, and make lung and heart problems worse. Air pollution is especially harmful to children, people with heart and lung problems, and adults over age 65.

This is the first burn ban of the season and the first since a new state law went into effect lowering the air-quality trigger for calling a burn ban. The trigger level was lowered to align with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) health standard for fine particle pollution, which was tightened in 2006 to better protect public health. Answers to frequently asked questions about burn bans can be found at www.pscleanair.org/airq/burnban/faqs.aspx .

For additional information visit www.pscleanair.org .