Burn bans in Washington
In Washington, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sets burn restrictions by Fire Danger Rating Area (FDRA) rather than by county. Each FDRA carries its own burn-ban level, and a single county often spans several of them. Counties, fire districts and the Department of Ecology run their own separate systems on top.
A DNR burn ban covers state forests, state parks and private forestlands that DNR protects. Counties, fire districts and the Department of Ecology set their own rules for everything else.
23 FDRAs cover Washington's 39 counties, and 28 of those counties fall across more than one. Where a county spans several FDRAs, we show the most restrictive one, and list every area below with its own level.
Every Fire Danger Rating Area in Washington
This is the level Washington DNR — Burn Bans layer actually publishes. Each area's wording below is the agency's own.
| FDRA | Status | Level published | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountain Grass and Brush FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Central Lowlands FDRA DNR SOUTH PUGET SOUND Region · (360) 825-1631 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Central WA Cascades FDRA DNR SOUTH PUGET SOUND Region · (360) 825-1631 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Chelan FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Coast FDRA DNR OLYMPIC Region · (360) 374-2800 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 2, 2026 |
| Foothills FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Gorge West FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Highlands FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Kaniksu FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Lower Basin FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Lower Yakima FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Methow FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 23, 2026 |
| North Cascade FDRA DNR NORTHWEST Region · (360) 856-3500 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 1, 2026 |
| North Lowlands FDRA DNR NORTHWEST Region · (360) 856-3500 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Northern Blue Mountains FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Olympics FDRA DNR OLYMPIC Region · (360) 374-2800 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | — |
| South Lowlands FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
| South WA Cascades FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Upper Basin FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 23, 2026 |
| Upper White Salmon FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | — |
| Upper Yakima FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Valley FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Vancouver FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | No Restrictions | No Burn Bans in effect | Oct 9, 2026 |
All counties in Washington
A county's status is the most restrictive of the FDRAs covering it. Open a county to see each area separately.
| county | Status | FDRAs covering it | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clallam | Partial Restrictions | Olympics FDRA, Coast FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Grays Harbor | Partial Restrictions | Coast FDRA, Olympics FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Jefferson | Partial Restrictions | Olympics FDRA, Coast FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Mason | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, Olympics FDRA | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Adams | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Upper Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Asotin | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA, Blue Mountain Grass and Brush FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Benton | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Chelan | No Restrictions | Chelan FDRA, Valley FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Clark | No Restrictions | Vancouver FDRA, Gorge West FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Columbia | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Cowlitz | No Restrictions | South Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Douglas | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA, Valley FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Ferry | No Restrictions | Highlands FDRA | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Franklin | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Garfield | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Grant | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Upper Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Island | No Restrictions | North Lowlands FDRA | Oct 1, 2026 |
| King | No Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, Central WA Cascades FDRA, North Cascade FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Kitsap | No Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Kittitas | No Restrictions | Upper Yakima FDRA, Lower Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Klickitat | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Lewis | No Restrictions | South Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA, Coast FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Lincoln | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Okanogan | No Restrictions | Methow FDRA, Highlands FDRA, Valley FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Pacific | No Restrictions | Coast FDRA | Oct 2, 2025 |
| Pend Oreille | No Restrictions | Kaniksu FDRA, Foothills FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Pierce | No Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA, Central WA Cascades FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| San Juan | No Restrictions | North Lowlands FDRA | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Skagit | No Restrictions | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA, Methow FDRA | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Skamania | No Restrictions | South WA Cascades FDRA, Gorge West FDRA, Upper White Salmon FDRA, Vancouver FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Snohomish | No Restrictions | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Spokane | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA, Foothills FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Stevens | No Restrictions | Foothills FDRA, Highlands FDRA, Kaniksu FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Thurston | No Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Wahkiakum | No Restrictions | Coast FDRA | Oct 2, 2025 |
| Walla Walla | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Whatcom | No Restrictions | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA, Methow FDRA | Oct 15, 2026 |
| Whitman | No Restrictions | Upper Basin FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Yakima | No Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA, Upper Yakima FDRA | Oct 16, 2026 |
Multiple agencies decide whether you can burn in Washington
1. DNR burn bans — what this page tracks
DNR issues burn bans by Fire Danger Rating Area for the land it protects: state forests, state parks and private forestlands under DNR protection. This is the layer we read, and every level below comes from it unchanged.
2. County and fire-district rules
Your county and your local fire district set their own outdoor burning rules, and they are free to go further than DNR. DNR's own notices say to check locally as well. Call your fire district before you burn.
3. Air-quality burn bans
The Department of Ecology and regional Clean Air Agencies call separate burn bans based on air quality rather than fire risk. These run on their own schedule and can apply on a day when fire-danger restrictions are relaxed.
How Washington decides
- Washington has 39 counties and 23 Fire Danger Rating Areas. The FDRA, not the county, is the unit DNR regulates.
- Most counties overlap more than one FDRA, so two addresses in the same county can fall under different rules.
- DNR restrictions apply to DNR-protected land. Your county, your fire district and the Department of Ecology each run separate systems.
- DNR publishes an effective date with each restriction — we show it on every area below.
Penalties in Washington
Fireworks and incendiary devices — exploding targets, sky lanterns, tracer ammunition — are illegal on all DNR-protected lands under RCW 76.04.455. Anyone who starts a wildfire can also be billed for the cost of suppression and held liable for property damage.
Classification: — · Maximum fine: —
Common questions about Washington burn bans
Is there a burn ban in Washington right now?
No county-level burn ban is currently reported by Washington DNR — Burn Bans layer for Washington. Municipal rules within a county may still apply.
How does Washington issue a burn ban?
In Washington, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) sets burn restrictions by Fire Danger Rating Area (FDRA) rather than by county. Each FDRA carries its own burn-ban level, and a single county often spans several of them. Counties, fire districts and the Department of Ecology run their own separate systems on top.
How long does a burn ban last in Washington?
Washington'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 Washington?
Fireworks and incendiary devices — exploding targets, sky lanterns, tracer ammunition — are illegal on all DNR-protected lands under RCW 76.04.455. Anyone who starts a wildfire can also be billed for the cost of suppression and held liable for property damage.
burnbanradar reports the counties-level orders as published by Washington DNR — Burn Bans layer. Municipal ordinances may impose stricter rules. When Washington DNR — Burn Bans layer does not list a county, that does not mean no ban exists — verify with the county office. The published order governs.