Burn bans in Idaho
Idaho sets fire restrictions through an interagency process — the Idaho Department of Lands, BLM, the Forest Service, the BIA and tribal governments agree restrictions zone by zone under the Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan. The zone, not the county, is the unit that carries a stage.
Restrictions are agreed between the state, federal land managers and tribes for each zone. The agency that manages the ground you are standing on is the one that enforces them, and cities and counties can add their own rules.
25 zones cover Idaho's 44 counties, and 25 of those counties fall across more than one. Where a county spans several zones, we show the most restrictive one, and list every zone below with its own stage.
Every Fire Restriction Zone in Idaho
This is the level Idaho Department of Lands — Fire Restrictions actually publishes. Each area's wording below is the agency's own.
| zone | Status | Level published | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Desert Eastern Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Caribou Highlands Eastern Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Cassia Zone South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Cassia Zone (National Forest) South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Centennial Eastern Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Central Idaho Central Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 4, 2026 |
| East Zone GVC Grangeville Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Kaniksu Coeur d'Alene Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Jan 1, 2024 |
| Little Salmon Zone Payette Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Long Valley/Meadows Valley Zone Payette Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| North Zone Coeur d'Alene Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Owyhee Boise Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Payette NF East Zone Payette Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Payette NF West Zone Payette Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Sawtooth North South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Sawtooth North (National Forest) South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Wilderness Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Jan 1, 2024 |
| Shoshone Zone South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| South Zone Coeur d'Alene Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Three Creek Zone South Idaho Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Treasure Valley Boise Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Weiser River Zone Payette Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| West Central Boise Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 3, 2026 |
| West Zone GVC Grangeville Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Wilderness Wilderness Fire Restriction Area | No Restrictions | None | Jan 1, 2024 |
All counties in Idaho
A county's status is the most restrictive of the zones covering it. Open a county to see each area separately.
| county | Status | zones covering it | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ada | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Adams | No Restrictions | Payette NF West Zone, Weiser River Zone, Long Valley/Meadows Valley Zone, Treasure Valley, Payette NF East Zone, West Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Bannock | No Restrictions | Big Desert | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Bear Lake | No Restrictions | Caribou Highlands | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Benewah | No Restrictions | South Zone, West Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Bingham | No Restrictions | Big Desert | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Blaine | No Restrictions | Sawtooth North (National Forest), Sawtooth North, Shoshone Zone, Big Desert | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Boise | No Restrictions | West Central, Sawtooth North (National Forest) | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Bonner | No Restrictions | North Zone, Kaniksu | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Bonneville | No Restrictions | Big Desert, Centennial | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Boundary | No Restrictions | North Zone | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Butte | No Restrictions | Big Desert, Central Idaho, Centennial, Shoshone Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Camas | No Restrictions | Sawtooth North (National Forest), Shoshone Zone, Sawtooth North | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Canyon | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Caribou | No Restrictions | Caribou Highlands | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Cassia | No Restrictions | Cassia Zone, Cassia Zone (National Forest), Shoshone Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Clark | No Restrictions | Centennial | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Clearwater | No Restrictions | West Zone GVC, East Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Custer | No Restrictions | Central Idaho, Sawtooth North (National Forest), Wilderness, Big Desert | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Elmore | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley, West Central, Sawtooth North (National Forest), Three Creek Zone, Shoshone Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Franklin | No Restrictions | Caribou Highlands | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Fremont | No Restrictions | Centennial | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Gem | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Gooding | No Restrictions | Shoshone Zone, Three Creek Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Idaho | No Restrictions | East Zone GVC, West Zone GVC, Wilderness, Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, Payette NF East Zone | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Jefferson | No Restrictions | Big Desert | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Jerome | No Restrictions | Shoshone Zone, Cassia Zone, Three Creek Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Kootenai | No Restrictions | South Zone | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Latah | No Restrictions | West Zone GVC, South Zone | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Lemhi | No Restrictions | Central Idaho, Wilderness, Centennial | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Lewis | No Restrictions | West Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Lincoln | No Restrictions | Shoshone Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Madison | No Restrictions | Big Desert, Centennial | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Minidoka | No Restrictions | Shoshone Zone, Cassia Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Nez Perce | No Restrictions | West Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Oneida | No Restrictions | Big Desert | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Owyhee | No Restrictions | Owyhee, Three Creek Zone | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Payette | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Power | No Restrictions | Big Desert, Cassia Zone (National Forest) | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Shoshone | No Restrictions | South Zone, West Zone GVC, East Zone GVC | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Teton | No Restrictions | Centennial | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Twin Falls | No Restrictions | Three Creek Zone, Cassia Zone, Cassia Zone (National Forest) | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Valley | No Restrictions | West Central, Wilderness, Payette NF East Zone, Long Valley/Meadows Valley Zone | Sep 3, 2026 |
| Washington | No Restrictions | Treasure Valley, Weiser River Zone, Payette NF West Zone | Sep 3, 2026 |
Multiple agencies decide whether you can burn in Idaho
Stage I
Building or maintaining a fire is limited to designated sites. Smoking is limited to enclosed vehicles, buildings, or a cleared area. Stage I is the level most Idaho zones reach in a normal summer.
Stage II
Everything under Stage I, plus limits on running motorised and mechanised equipment during the hottest part of the day. Stage II arrives in the driest conditions.
Who enforces it
Idaho's restrictions are interagency: state, federal and tribal land managers sign the same order for a zone. Enforcement falls to whoever manages the land you are on. Your city or county can also run its own burn rules on top.
How Idaho decides
- Idaho has 44 counties and 25 fire restriction zones, grouped into 8 restriction areas.
- Restrictions run in stages: Stage I limits campfires and smoking, Stage II adds equipment limits.
- Idaho publishes scheduled changes in advance, so a zone can show a stage that starts in a few days.
- Zone boundaries follow land management, not county lines, so two places in one county can carry different stages.
Penalties in Idaho
Fire restrictions are enforced by the agency that manages the land you are on. Beyond any fine, anyone who starts a wildfire can be billed for the cost of suppression and held liable for damage to property.
Classification: — · Maximum fine: —
Common questions about Idaho burn bans
Is there a burn ban in Idaho right now?
No county-level burn ban is currently reported by Idaho Department of Lands — Fire Restrictions for Idaho. Municipal rules within a county may still apply.
How does Idaho issue a burn ban?
Idaho sets fire restrictions through an interagency process — the Idaho Department of Lands, BLM, the Forest Service, the BIA and tribal governments agree restrictions zone by zone under the Idaho Fire Restrictions Plan. The zone, not the county, is the unit that carries a stage.
How long does a burn ban last in Idaho?
Idaho's statutory rule applies during a fixed calendar window each year. Governor emergency orders can extend or expand restrictions and are reflected here within one business day of publication.
What are the penalties for violating a burn ban in Idaho?
Fire restrictions are enforced by the agency that manages the land you are on. Beyond any fine, anyone who starts a wildfire can be billed for the cost of suppression and held liable for damage to property.
burnbanradar reports the counties-level orders as published by Idaho Department of Lands — Fire Restrictions. Municipal ordinances may impose stricter rules. When Idaho Department of Lands — Fire Restrictions does not list a county, that does not mean no ban exists — verify with the county office. The published order governs.