Wildfire, Smoke, and Restrictions
on Outdoor Activities
(updated 7/23/21)
Commissioner Franz announced that, due to extreme fire danger and ongoing drought, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is temporarily closing all recreational and public access to DNR-managed lands in eastern Washington beginning 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 23.
As of July 23, the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has the following information on lands under DNR jurisdiction in our area: Fire Danger is Extreme. Commissioner Franz has issued a state-wide burn ban. Rule Permit Burns and Recreation burns are banned. This includes rule burning and permit burning. Campfires are prohibited. Contact the county for information on recreation burning on improved property. Please check with local authorities (Ferry County Sheriff Business office: 509-775-3132) for information on burning restrictions on land not under DNR jurisdiction. It is extremely important to use caution when outdoors and to make your home "firewise".
See below for specific restrictions on current information on open burning, including campfires and on woods-work (chainsaw use, etc.) restrictions. It is always important to be careful. Check with the local USDA Forest Service ranger district office before cutting firewood. A free permit is required to cut firewood on forest service land.
Specific agency restrictions:
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Washington Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR): Fire danger and outdoor burning information
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Washington Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR): Restrictions on working in the woods, including firewood cutting
Restrictions on burning and cutting may differ for areas outside of Ferry County. Please check with appropriate agencies for details
For current info on wildfires burning in Washington (including smaller, more local fires), check out the following website and Facebook pages:
http://www.wildcad.net/WArecent.asp
https://www.facebook.com/newfireinfo/
https://www.facebook.com/Washington-State-Fire-Wire-917880645031123/
Another good source of information on larger Northwest fires:
https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/firemap.aspx
Other websites with information on wildfires burning throughout the West:
http://www.wildfireincidents.com/
https://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/nfn.htm
https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/information/fire_info.aspx#WA-NES-001773
For fire-related news from the Ferry County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page, click here.
For British Columbia wildfire info, click here.
The following website has good information about air quality and smoke origin:
http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/p/national-interagency-fire-information.html
Visit the Washington Department of Transportation website for updated information on highway closures and traffic conditions.
For the most current weather info, visit the National Weather Service website. Scroll down to the interactive map and click on a location for a detailed forecast.
Other Outdoor Activities - Protect our Natural Resources
Fireworks, incendiary devices such as exploding targets, sky lanterns, or tracer ammunition are all illegal on all DNR Protected Lands. The use of fireworks and exploding targets is prohibited on the CNF.
Keep vehicles off of areas with dry grass and brush, as hot exhaust systems can ignite vegetation. Spark arrestors on all power equipment and vehicles are very important.
Do not smoke cigarettes outside of your vehicle. Use your ashtray. It is recommended that you carry a shovel, fire extinguisher, and water in your vehicle, especially when traveling through forested areas.
Updates
When conditions change, we will post updates on this website as soon as possible. Because conditions can change quickly, it is recommended that you check directly with the appropriate agency when planning your work or recreational activity.