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Anticipated Thunderstorm Brings Fire Watch; Caution With Fires Urged

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather warning for Saturday morning through Sunday morning due to a thunderstorm expected to move eastward from the coast

The National Weather Service has issued a new fire watch warning for this weekend, as a thunderstorm is expected to sweep in off the coast and move eastward through the Cascades.

The warning extends from Saturday morning until Sunday morning.

A heat advisory also remains in effect until 9 tonight.

Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Due to continued high fire dangers and prolonged hot and dry weather conditions, the Snohomish County Fire Marshal is reminding residents that outdoor burning except for recreational fires has been banned.

Residents also are asked to take extra precautions with recreational fires through the weekend.

Find out what's happening in Edmondswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“While we are not banning recreational fires, we are asking residents to reconsider how necessary they might be in light of current weather conditions,” said Mike McCrary, the county’s fire marshal.

Contact the Outdoor Burning Information Hotline at 425‐388‐3508 for updated information.

Meanwhile, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark has asked for the public's help in a statement released this morning:

The next three days are going to be very dangerous in terms of the potential for wildfire. That is true in Western Washington as well as Eastern Washington. It is everyone’s responsibility to be safe and not take any risks. As the Taylor Bridge Fire demonstrates, the risk and consequences of catastrophic wildfire is extreme. We have hundreds of firefighters fighting two major wildfires in Washington and resources are stretched thin by fires across the West. Now is the time to be ever-vigilant.

(For an update on the status of the Taylor Bridge fire, visit the Incident Information System (InciWeb) site, which brings together information from various fire departments and was updated around 10:30 a.m. today.)

There is a burn ban in effect on all Department of Natural Resources lands in Washington through Sept. 30, including all forest lands in Washington, except federal lands. Campers should check with their campground host for specific campground rules before starting a campfire.

Here is some additional information from Goldmark:

Fire safety information
• Never leave a campfire unattended, and be sure it is completely out before leaving the area.
• Be sure recreational vehicles have operating spark arresters.
• Do not park any vehicles in dry, grassy areas as the heat from exhaust systems can ignite the dry grass.
• It is illegal to discharge fireworks on DNR-protected and public lands.

For tips on protecting your home and family from wildfire, visit www.firewise.org.

Relief is in sight. Edmonds' weekend forecast looks to be cooling down a bit by Sunday.

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