Spokane put under stage 1 burn ban as pollution builds

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency is banning fires in noncertified wood stoves and fireplaces as pollution from smoke worsens across the region.

Wood burning is still allowed in certified stoves and inserts, which is what the vast majority of people who burn wood for heat use.

The order comes as air quality deteriorated from the good to moderately polluted range, mostly due to a buildup of smoke.

The National Weather Service issued an air stagnation advisory that began Friday morning and should continue through at least Monday morning.

Forecasters said the most polluted air would be below 2,500 feet in elevation.

Downtown Spokane is at 1,880 feet.

A weather service balloon on Friday morning showed colder air lying below warmer air at 4,000 feet in elevation.

This so-called inversion from normal cooling with elevation causes pollutants to be trapped near the ground.

Forecasters are calling for continued calm weather with low clouds. Patchy freezing fog is possible at night and early in the morning. Highs should be in the middle 30s with lows in the middle 20s through Sunday.

A chance of snow arrives Monday night and Tuesday and may end the inversion and burning restrictions.