Washington State Parks Issues Total Ban On Campfires

SEATTLE — Campers headed to a state park for the 4th of July weekend will want to bring a stove if they're going to get any cooking done.

Washington State Parks has announced that, effective 5 p.m. Friday, it is issuing a total ban on wood and charcoal fires at all its parks and on ocean beaches in the Seashore Conservation Area along the state's northern coastline — a move State Parks argues is necessary to prevent accidental wildfires following last weekend's record-breaking heat wave and the ongoing drought.

Officially, those parks are now under a level 3 burn ban, outlawing all wood fires and the use of charcoal briquettes. Fireworks are also banned at all state parks.

Campers can, however, still use self-contained gas or propane stoves, and portable gas or propane fire pits, as long as they are kept at designated camping or picnic areas.

Campers who have questions or concerns about the new burn ban are invited to check campfire ban levels for more information.

Other burn bans are already in place for unincorporated King and Pierce counties, as well as all forested land managed by the state Department of Natural Resources.

Local leaders are hopeful that the burn bans and fireworks restrictions will help prevent wildfires from sparking up: even before the recent heat wave, forecasters were predicting an above average fire season for Washington this summer, and we're already starting to see some smoke blow in from Canadian wildfires up north.

Related stories:

Emergency Room Visits Surged In King County During Record Heat

Pierce County Urges Residents To Forego The Fireworks This Year