Olympic forest, park tighten fire restrictions

All campfires, including charcoal, are now banned in Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest, including coastal areas of the national park.

The restrictions started July 26, according to a news release from Olympic National Park.

Anything that produces ash is banned.

Visitors can use pressurized or bottled liquid fuel stoves that have an on-off switch or valve capable of immediately extinguishing the flame, lanterns or heating devices in campgrounds and wilderness areas, if no flammable materials are within 3 feet of the devices, the release says.

“The number of wildland fires are increasing across the region and country.” As a result, resources and incident management teams are working at maximum capacity. We are therefore using every option to eliminate ignition sources and prevent the establishment of an unwanted fire on the Olympic Peninsula. Drought conditions are predicted to continue and we are in the Very High Fire Danger category. Banning campfires, including the use of charcoal, allows us to reduce the risk of new fires forming on the landscape. We are also asking everyone to exercise the highest level of caution when visiting the Olympic Peninsula to help us prevent unwanted fires,” Interagency Fire Management Officer Jeff Bortner said in a statement.