Dangerously Dry Conditions Force DNR to Ban Campfires in WA

Due to extremely dry conditions, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is banning all campfires in the Southeastern Region of the state. The ban begins at 12:01 am Friday, July 14th.

Get our free mobile app

Hot, dry weather has increased the danger of wildfire in the area.

Wildfire danger has reached extreme levels in the lower Columbia Basin and continues to be high across the 17-county region. The campfire ban includes recreation areas near Cle Elum and the Ahtanum State Forest west of Yakima.

This restriction is a critical step to reduce potential wildfire ignition sources as fire dangers continue to stay elevated. Fuels across Eastern Washington are drying out quickly, as a warming trend after Monday’s widespread thunderstorms will combine with rapidly dropping live fuel moistures. An uptick of fires in forested areas east of the Cascades indicates that we are entering the heart of fire season in the Pacific Northwest.

Which counties are affected by the campfire  ban?

The DNR Southeast Region manages almost 900,000 acres of state trust and conservation lands. The ban goes The counties included are:

Adams
Asotin
Benton
Chelan
Columbia
Douglas
Franklin
Garfield
Grant
Kittitas
Klickitat
Walla Walla
Whitman
Yakima
And portions of Lincoln and Skamania counties.

The use of propane or butane stoves and backpacking stoves is still allowed.