Fire Restrictions in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest Began This Week

Due to the increased risk of wildfires, Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire managers have issued restrictions on campfires, smoking and other activities within the forest. These restrictions went into effect on July 10 just after midnight.

“We are seeing dry conditions, earlier in the year, across the forest,” said Dirk Shupe, fire management staff officer for the Gifford Pinchot and Mount Hood National Forests. “With an anticipated dry, warm summer ahead, we are putting restrictions in place to limit unnecessary risks caused by abandoned or escaped campfires. We ask that everyone do their part to prevent human-caused wildfires by respecting all fire related restrictions.”

Restrictions include:

• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, including a charcoal fire and pellet fire on all Gifford Pinchot general forest land.
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a designated campground or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.
• Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order.
• Possessing, discharging or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device is prohibited year-round on national forest lands, no matter what fire restrictions are in place at the time. Violators can be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned up to six months in jail.

Fire restrictions currently do not apply to portable cooking stoves, lanterns and heating devices using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane because they can be instantly switched off. 

Recreationalists are still permitted to build, maintain or use campfires or charcoal fires in the following developed campgrounds:

• Cowlitz Valley Ranger District
• Adams Fork Campground
• Big Creek Campground
• Blue Lake Creek Campground
• Cat Creek Campground, but not in the Chimney area
• Cispus Learning Center
• Cody Horse Camp
• Horseshoe Lake Campground
• Keenes Horse Camp
• Killen Creek Campground
• North Fork Campground
• Olallie Lake Campground
• Soda Springs Campground
• Takhlakh Lake Campground
• Tower Rock Campground
• Walupt Lake Campground
• Walupt Horse Camp

Likewise, campfires and charcoal fires are still allowed in the following Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument locations, at the Kalama Horse Camp and Sunset Falls Campground. In the Mount Adams Ranger District, the same exemptions apply for:

• Atkisson Group Camp
• Beaver Campground
• Cold Springs Indian Camp
• Cultus Creek Campground
• Falls Creek Horse Camp
• Forlorn Lakes Campground
• Goose Lake Campground
• Government Mineral Springs Campground (including Guard Station)
• Lewis River Horse Camp
• Lower Falls Campground
• Moss Creek Campground
• Oklahoma Campground
• Paradise Creek Campground
• Peterson Prairie Campground
• Tillicum Campground
• Trout Lake Creek Campground
• Twin Falls Campground

Where permitted, campfires should be fully extinguished and cool to the touch before being left behind. Visitors are asked to use the metal campfire rings in the campgrounds and keep a shovel and bucket of water close by.

On average, nine out of 10 wildfires are caused by humans each year. Smokey Bear’s message of preventing unwanted human-caused ignitions is more relevant today than ever before as more people live closer to wildlands and recreate outdoors, stated a news release from the Forest Service.

For Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire information visit: www.fs.usda.gov/main/giffordpinchot/fire.

For more information about the local and regional fire outlook visit: https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/predict/outlook.aspx.