PORT ANGELES — Olympic National Park, Olympic National Forest and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest have restricted campfires to developed campgrounds, picnic areas, and rental cabins with cement or metal fire rings only.
This includes the coastal areas of Olympic National Park.
The restriction began Wednesday and will continue until further notice.
Federal land managers are instituting fire restrictions due to the long-term forecast for hot and dry weather, the current commitment of firefighting resources battling numerous wildfires around the nation, and the strain any new uncontrolled fires would place on these resources, according to a news release.
“With the high fire danger and staff already committed to suppressing fires across the country, we are enacting this fire restriction to conserve our firefighting resources and to help prevent additional fires,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.
Gas camp stoves may be used in the wilderness backcountry, but should be operated well away from flammable vegetation and forest litter. Creachbaum urged extreme caution with any open flame.
To reduce the risk of human-caused fires, visitors to national parks and forests are asked to:
• Remember that fireworks are prohibited on federal public lands.
• Before going camping, learn of any fire restrictions in place and never leave a campfire unattended.
• If smoking, always dispose of cigarette debris in some type of an ashtray.
To report a fire dial 9-1-1.
County fire restrictions already are in place.
In both Clallam and Jefferson counties, yard-clearing or land-clearing fires are prohibited but recreational fires are permitted within certain limits.
Camp fires can be a maximum of three feet in diameter and two feet in height when they are contained within a concrete or metal fire pit in an approved campground or on private property with the owner’s permission.
The state Department of Natural Resources has upgraded the fire danger on the North Olympic Peninsula to high.
Olympic National Park information can be found at www.nps.gov/olym. Olympic National Forest information is available at www.fs.usda.gov/olympic.
For more information about county burning restrictions, see www.clallam.net/index.html in Clallam County and www.ejfr.org/ in Jefferson County.
