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 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Central Lowlands FDRA DNR SOUTH PUGET SOUND Region · (360) 825-1631 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Central WA Cascades FDRA DNR SOUTH PUGET SOUND Region · (360) 825-1631 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Chelan FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Coast FDRA DNR OLYMPIC Region · (360) 374-2800 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2025 |
| Foothills FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Gorge West FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Highlands FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Kaniksu FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Lower Basin FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Lower Yakima FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Methow FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| North Cascade FDRA DNR NORTHWEST Region · (360) 856-3500 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| North Lowlands FDRA DNR NORTHWEST Region · (360) 856-3500 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Northern Blue Mountains FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Olympics FDRA DNR OLYMPIC Region · (360) 374-2800 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | — |
| South Lowlands FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| South WA Cascades FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Upper Basin FDRA DNR NORTHEAST Region · (509) 684-7474 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 11, 2026 |
| Upper White Salmon FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Jun 16, 2026 |
| Upper Yakima FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Partial Restrictions | Other combination described | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Valley FDRA DNR SOUTHEAST Region · (509) 925-8510 | Burn Ban in Effect | Rule Permit and Recreation burns are banned | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Vancouver FDRA DNR PACIFIC CASCADE Region · (360) 577-2025 | Partial Restrictions | Rule Burns are banned | Sep 18, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | Burn Ban in Effect | Lower Basin FDRA, Upper Basin FDRA | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Asotin | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA, Blue Mountain Grass and Brush FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Chelan | Burn Ban in Effect | Chelan FDRA, Valley FDRA | Jul 23, 2026 |
| Columbia | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Douglas | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA, Valley FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Ferry | Burn Ban in Effect | Highlands FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Garfield | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Grant | Burn Ban in Effect | Lower Basin FDRA, Upper Basin FDRA | Jul 24, 2026 |
| Lincoln | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Okanogan | Burn Ban in Effect | Methow FDRA, Highlands FDRA, Valley FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Pend Oreille | Burn Ban in Effect | Kaniksu FDRA, Foothills FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Skagit | Burn Ban in Effect | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA, Methow FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Spokane | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA, Foothills FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Stevens | Burn Ban in Effect | Foothills FDRA, Highlands FDRA, Kaniksu FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Whatcom | Burn Ban in Effect | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA, Methow FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Whitman | Burn Ban in Effect | Upper Basin FDRA | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Benton | Partial Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Clallam | Partial Restrictions | Olympics FDRA, Coast FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Clark | Partial Restrictions | Vancouver FDRA, Gorge West FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Cowlitz | Partial Restrictions | South Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Franklin | Partial Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Grays Harbor | Partial Restrictions | Coast FDRA, Olympics FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Island | Partial Restrictions | North Lowlands FDRA | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Jefferson | Partial Restrictions | Olympics FDRA, Coast FDRA, Central Lowlands FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| King | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, Central WA Cascades FDRA, North Cascade FDRA | Sep 4, 2026 |
| Kitsap | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Kittitas | Partial Restrictions | Upper Yakima FDRA, Lower Basin FDRA | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Klickitat | Partial Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Lewis | Partial Restrictions | South Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA, Coast FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Mason | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, Olympics FDRA | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Pacific | Partial Restrictions | Coast FDRA | Sep 18, 2025 |
| Pierce | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA, South WA Cascades FDRA, Central WA Cascades FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| San Juan | Partial Restrictions | North Lowlands FDRA | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Skamania | Partial Restrictions | South WA Cascades FDRA, Gorge West FDRA, Upper White Salmon FDRA, Vancouver FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA | Sep 18, 2026 |
| Snohomish | Partial Restrictions | North Cascade FDRA, North Lowlands FDRA | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Thurston | Partial Restrictions | Central Lowlands FDRA | Jul 17, 2026 |
| Wahkiakum | Partial Restrictions | Coast FDRA | Sep 18, 2025 |
| Walla Walla | Partial Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Northern Blue Mountains FDRA | Sep 17, 2026 |
| Yakima | Partial Restrictions | Lower Basin FDRA, Lower Yakima FDRA, Upper Yakima FDRA | Sep 17, 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?
Yes — 16 counties in Washington are currently under a burn ban. The county table above lists each one with its effective date and source.
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.