Skagit County Public Health

05/29/2026

World Cup is around the corner! Check out Public Health - Seattle & King County’s tips to help you plan for your medical needs and to protect yourself from illness so you can enjoy the matches! They’ve also included helpful information on health services for visitors to King County.

Learn more on their blog: https://bit.ly/4x505Gz

05/27/2026

A modified burn ban for all residential and land-clearing fires in unincorporated Skagit County will go into effect on June 15, 2026, and continue until further notice. Skagit County will no longer issue permits for burn activities, and existing permits will be suspended.

More information on what is allowed during the burn ban can be found here: www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/Home/press/052126.htm

A modified burn ban for all residential and land-clearing fires in unincorporated Skagit County will go into effect on June 15, 2026, and continue until further notice. Skagit County will no longer issue permits for burn activities, and existing permits will be suspended.

More information on what is allowed during the burn ban can be found here: https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/Home/press/052126.htm

The Skagit County Fire Marshal's Office has decided to proactively have a “set date” to allow the public to know when to expect burn restrictions every year. In the past, we have not been able to provide much notice by waiting until the weather models, vegetation flammability, and fire potential have reached elevated risk levels.

The Skagit County Fire Marshal reviews the seasonal forecasts for drought, precipitation, relative humidity, and heat each year to assess our yearly fire risk. Skagit County is in a drought again this year and weather outlooks are predicting our region to be very dry and hot this summer. With these risks in mind, our fire chiefs and fire marshal believe it best to continue using a set date for the county burn ban.

05/22/2026

Join us for Family Reunification Day on June 8th from 4 - 6 PM at the Skagit Valley Playfields! Skagit County hosts this event annually to highlight the hard work by parents involved in the dependency process to be reunified with their children.

In 2018, Washington state launched a statewide celebration of Family Reunification Month to encourage communities to celebrate the hard work and importance of families healing and coming back together. For more information on the launch of the annual statewide Family Reunification Month celebration, visit https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/index.cfm...

The event includes free food, prizes, and resources for families. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected]

Join us for Family Reunification Day on June 8th from 4 - 6 PM at the Skagit Valley Playfields! Skagit County hosts this event annually to highlight the hard work by parents involved in the dependency process to be reunified with their children.

In 2018, Washington state launched a statewide celebration of Family Reunification Month to encourage communities to celebrate the hard work and importance of families healing and coming back together. For more information on the launch of the annual statewide Family Reunification Month celebration, visit https://www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/index.cfm?fa=newsinfo.familyreunification

The event includes free food, prizes, and resources for families. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected]

05/18/2026

Healthy & Safe Swimming Week is here! 💦

Keep your family and your community safe by staying out of the water when you’re sick and practicing healthy swimming habits all summer long.

Follow along all week for more tips to stay safe in and around the water or learn more at bit.ly/4nEr87i

05/11/2026

Here is a snapshot of our Housing Instability Insights report for April 2026! As a reminder, in collaboration with Volunteers of America Western Washington, we provide a monthly snapshot of coordinated entry trends to help us understand how our homeless response system is working.

To read the full report, please visit www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/housingmain.htm

05/06/2026

Due to elevated levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins found in recent samples, the east, north, and west sides of Guemes Island (from Southeast Point to Kellys Point) are now closed to recreational harvesting of butter clams and varnish clams. Padilla Bay and Samish Bay also remain closed to harvesting of butter clams and varnish clams.

Biotoxin levels can change rapidly. Before harvesting shellfish, always “Know Before You Dig” by:
🦪 checking for closures using the Shellfish Safety Map (doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety)
🦪 calling the Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632

Cooking or freezing does not destroy PSP and other naturally occurring biotoxins. Learn more about preventing shellfish-related illnesses at doh.wa.gov/shellfish.

05/04/2026

Calling Skagit County seniors! Are you interested in shopping at our local farmers markets? You may be eligible to receive an $80 benefit card to be used at any approved Skagit County farmers market or farm store. To be eligible you must:

🥦 Be 60 years or older (55+ if Native American/Alaska Native)
🌽 Have a monthly income of $2,461 or lower for individuals or $3,337 for couples
🥕 Be Washington State resident

Stop by any of the listed locations to pick one up (or visit https://www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/HumanServices/SeniorCenters/Home/Main.htm to view the distribution schedule). Cards are available first come, first served.

05/01/2026

As the weather warms up, it's the perfect time to brush up on water safety tips to keep you and your loved ones safe around lakes, rivers, and beaches. 🌊 More info: https://heyor.ca/ugmaMz

✅ Know the water conditions
✅ Know your limits in the water
✅ Wear a life jacket that fits you
✅ Prepare for weather changes

04/30/2026

Here’s a highlight from our respiratory illness report for the week of April 19–25, 2026. Flu, RSV, and COVID-19 activity have decreased, and overall levels of acute respiratory illness remain low.

This will be our final report for this respiratory season. If you’re interested in continuing to track respiratory illness trends during the break, you can visit Washington State Department of Health's Respiratory Illness Data Dashboard: https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/diseases-and-chronic-conditions/communicable-disease-surveillance-data/respiratory-illness-data-dashboard

And remember, simple steps like staying home when sick, washing hands frequently, and covering coughs and sneezes help reduce the spread of illness year-round.

04/29/2026

Skagit County Disaster Recovery Centers open tonight at 4:00 p.m. in Hamilton and Burlington!

As a reminder, Skagit County Emergency Management will open two Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) to support residents impacted by the December 2025 flooding event. At these centers, community members can receive in-person assistance applying for federal, state, and local recovery resources, get answers to questions, and connect with available support services.

Locations:
📍Burlington: City of Burlington Parks and Recreation Building
📍Hamilton: Hamilton Town Hall

Dates & Hours:
⏱️ Wednesday, April 29 – Friday, May 1 | 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
⏱️ Saturday, May 2 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
⏱️ Wednesday, May 6 – Friday, May 8 | 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
⏱️ Saturday, May 9 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
⏱️ Saturday, June 6 | 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

If you are looking for help applying for disaster recovery funds, please join us at the DRCs for direct assistance. Additional information can be found here: www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/Home/press/042226.htm