OLYMPIA — Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park have restricted campfires to established fire rings starting today.
Backcountry and dispersed area campfires, charcoal grills and other equipment that creates ash will not be allowed.
Gas or propane camp stoves with a shut-off valve or lever that extinguishes the flame immediately are permitted but should be operated far from flammable vegetation and forest litter.
The restrictions also apply to the park’s coastal beaches and to the Quinault and Hoh rainforests.
“Because it was a very dry spring, forest vegetation is extremely dry, stressed, and receptive to stray embers,” said Jeff Bortner, the Olympic interagency fire management officer. “The ongoing Bear Gulch Fire shows how fast fires can grow in these conditions. When firefighters are responding to other incidents across the region, it’s even more important to prevent human-caused starts.”
Bortner recommends the following fire safety tips:
• Keep campfires small.
• Extinguish all campfires before leaving — even if gone for a short period of time.
• Attend your campfire at all times.
• Call 911 to report the illegal use of fireworks or unsafe fire use.
Campers can check current fire restrictions at www.nps.gov/olym for Olympic National Park, www.fs.usda.gov/olympic for Olympic National Forest or at https://fortress.wa.gov/dnr/protection/firedanger for state Department of Natural Resources lands.
