Regional News

Campfire restrictions reduced on national forest lands

Aug 27, 2014

The ban on campfires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest will be partially lifted on August 27. Starting Wednesday, campers may have campfires in metal fire rings in designated campgrounds in six of the seven Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest ranger districts. Naches Ranger District is the only district where campfires will not be allowed in campgrounds. Campfires will also be allowed in all federally designated wilderness areas in the forest.

Campfire restrictions in these areas were downgraded because of cooler weather and recent precipitation that has reduced fire danger in some areas of the national forest.

“Recent cooler weather conditions in conjunction with normal seasonal changes have begun to reduce fire danger,” said Forest Fire Management Officer Keith Satterfield.

“With reduced fire activity still going on in the Chiwaukum, Hansel and Duncan fires, forest visitors need to remember that wildfires can still occur. That's why it is so important to be careful when building any campfires, whether they are in established campgrounds or in other areas of the national forest,” Satterfield said. “We don’t want an unattended campfire to become a wildfire.”

In areas where campfires are allowed, forest visitors are advised to build them in an established fire pit, remove flammable materials from around the pit, construct the fire away from overhanging vegetation, and keep the fire small. Most importantly, make sure that all campfires are completely extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving a campsite.

The cooler temperatures and moisture also allowed Industrial Fire Precaution Levels for woodcutting to be lowered to level 2. This means that woodcutters can cut firewood from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; they must turn off their chainsaws at 1 p.m. and stay in the area for one hour to watch for possible fire starts.

For more information about campfires or woodcutting, please contact any Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest office.