Washington State Burn Bans Mean No Summer Campfires on DNR Land or in State Parks

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A statewide burn ban is in effect for all of Washington's forest lands and state parks as of Friday.

On Department of Natural Resources land, that means no campfires, use of charcoal briquettes or outdoor burning in protected forests.

The Washington state parks ban, which begins in all parks at 5 p.m. Friday, prohibits wood and charcoal fires in all state parks and on beaches in the seashore conservation area. The use of propane and gas camping stoves is still permitted in park picnic areas.

The bans come after a drought and record-setting heat wave dried out Washington's forests. The ban on DNR land will be in effect from July 2 to Sept. 30 unless state Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz sees a reason to extend or shorten the ban based on conditions.

"The record-breaking temperatures we saw last weekend have left our state bone dry," Franz said in a press release, "and the risks from fireworks and other holiday activities make the situation even more precarious. I am asking everyone in Washington to do their part to protect our firefighters and our communities this summer. Please do not start a fire outside, and please do not set off your own fireworks this weekend."



The ban prevents fires and other combustibles from being lit in state forests, such as Capitol Forest, but does not prevent someone from having a fire in their backyard. Thurston County established a burn ban on June 24, but still permitted fires on residential properties and at established fire rings in state, county, and federal campgrounds.

Meanwhile, the cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam have outright banned all burning until conditions improve, a release from the cities' fire departments said. This includes wood, charcoal, and recreational campfires; the only exception is propane and gas powered self-contained camping stoves and fire pits.

The DNR's ban does not permit campfires in any DNR-protected forest and supersedes all other burn bans currently in effect. Capitol Forest is one of the DNR's protected forests, so no burning will be permitted there until the ban is over.

If you see smoke this summer, the DNR recommends you call 911 and report it, rather than assume it's a fire someone has under control.