LUMMI ISLAND, Wash. — The annual drydock for the Whatcom Chief this year was completed May 21st and it resumed making Hale Passage crossings between Gooseberry Point and Lummi Island, a route served by a passenger-only ferry during the weeks-long drydock.
Due to the inability of the passenger-only ferry to get additional firefighting apparatus and equipment to the island in the event of a fire, Whatcom County Fire District 11 (WCFD11), which serves Lummi Island, announced outdoor burning restrictions typically associated with HIGH fire danger situations during the entire drydock period.
With the resumption of vehicle ferry service, WCFD11 Fire Chief Michael Lish returned to LOW fire danger level and the restrictions that correspond with it on May 23rd. Permissions and restrictions under the LOW level include the following.
- Recreational, residential and land clearing fires are allowed
- Fires OVER 10 feet in diameter require a written permit
- Fires LESS than 10 feet require a general permit
Call the Lummi Island Fire Hall at 360-758-2411 for written permits and visit the Islander Store or the WCFD11 website for general permits.
Each year the Whatcom Chief vehicle ferry spends 2 to 3 weeks in dry dock to undergo annual maintenance and during that time is replaced by a passenger-only ferry. In recent years, this has been scheduled during the latter half of September.