Whatcom County lifts burning restrictions for Columbia Valley as air clears
A burn ban that has been in place in parts of Whatcom County since Dec. 29 has been lifted.
The ban was in place because the cold, calm air was preventing smoke from clearing out and was impacting the Columbia Valley urban growth area, according to a news release from the Northwest Clean Air Agency.
The ban initially was issued as a stage 1 alert, meaning residents were prohibited their fireplaces or uncertified wood stoves unless it was their only source of heat. All outdoor burning was prohibited, including in areas where outdoor burning is usually allowed. The only exemption was if it was the home’s only source of heat and that the burning had been approved.
However, it was upgraded to a stage 2 burn ban Dec. 31, meaning no burning of any kind was permitted in any wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts, certified or uncertified. Again, there was still an exemption if it was the person’s only source of heat.
While the ban has been lifted, the Northwest Clean Air Agency asks people to limit indoor wood burning as much as possible to avoid another burn ban in the future.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 12:20 PM.
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