FIRE WARNINGS:

Olympic National Forest & Olympic National Park Joint News Release

Olympic National Forest
Contact: Public Affairs Officer
Corina Rendón
corina.rendon@usda.gov

Olympic National Park
Contact: Public Affairs Office
360-565-3005
olympic_pao@nps.gov

Total campfire ban to begin August 18 at Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest

Olympia, WA, August 17, 2023— Beginning at midnight Friday, August 18, 2023, Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest will implement a complete ban on all campfires, including charcoal. Anything that produces an ash will not be allowed. This includes the coastal areas of Olympic National Park. Gas or propane camp stoves may still be used in the wilderness backcountry and campgrounds but should be operated well away from flammable vegetation and forest litter. Extreme caution is urged with any open flame.

The move to Stage 2 fire restrictions is due to continued hot and dry conditions that are forecasted to continue with no relief in sight and the need to align with state and county campfire restrictions.

“We have already seen wildfires start throughout western Washington and these types of conditions are highly conducive to wildfires starting on the peninsula.” said Interagency Fire Management Officer, Jeff Bortner. “By following these restrictions everyone can help reduce the risk of unintentional wildfires.”

The public is urged to be aware of the high fire danger and take precautions to ensure fire safety. Visitors to public lands should always use caution to prevent human-caused wildfires.

To reduce the risk, please consider the following:

• Fireworks are always prohibited on federal public lands.
• Before going camping, learn of any new restrictions that may be in place.
• If smoking, always dispose of cigarette debris in some type of an ashtray.

To report a fire dial 911.
National Interagency Fire Center: https://www.nifc.gov
Active Fire Information - Incident Information System: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/
State and county area burn bans: www.waburnbans.net

Visit the Olympic National Forest and Park’s websites for more and follow us on social media at:

Olympic National Forest
www.fs.usda.gov/olympic
@olympicforest

Olympic National Park
www.nps.gov/olym
@olympicNP

DNR to Ban Campfires on Lands it Protects in Olympic Region Starting Today (August 14th 2023)

Hot, dry summer weather has dried out fuels and is forecast to continue, increasing fire danger

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is banning all campfires on lands it protects throughout its Olympic Region starting 12:00 p.m. Monday as hot, dry summer weather has increased wildfire danger in the area.

Fire dangers are at high or very high levels across much of the three-county region.

This restriction is a critical step to reduce potential wildfire ignition sources as fire dangers continue to stay elevated. Fuels across western Washington remain dry, and critical fire weather is forecast for this week.

For people recreating throughout the region on DNR-protected lands, propane or butane camp stoves and backpacking stoves are still allowed.

DNR’s Olympic region, headquartered in Forks, manages more than 370,000 acres of state trust and conservation lands. A map of DNR’s regions is available at dnr.wa.gov/about/dnr-regions-and-districts.