Fire

To Report a Fire: Dial 911

While the Olympic Peninsula is famous for its abundant rainfall, that doesn’t make the forest immune to wildfire. In fact, the landscape tells a different story. Evidence from tree rings, charcoal deposits, and forest composition reveals a long history of fire shaping these ecosystems. From the fire-intolerant Sitka spruce forests in the west to the fire-dependent Douglas-fir forests in the east, wildfire has influenced the Olympic Peninsula for thousands of years.

Today, fire management on federal lands across the peninsula is a collaborative effort led by the Olympic Interagency Fire Management. This partnership brings together the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide coordinated fire management across Olympic National Forest, Olympic National Park, National Wildlife Refuges, Fish Hatcheries, and other federal sites.

Through this cooperation, agencies share resources and expertise to support:

• Fire planning and preparedness
• Training and qualifications management
• Wildfire response
• Fuels reduction projects

This integrated approach helps protect communities, natural resources, and the unique ecosystems of the Olympic Peninsula.

Active and Past Incident Information

Fire Restrictions

There are currently no fire restrictions on the Olympic National Forest.

Fire restrictions, often called Public Use Restrictions, are put in place when fuel moistures and weather conditions create increased wildfire potential. These fire restrictions help reduce the chance of human-caused wildfire starts. Fireworks and explosives (including explosive targets) are always prohibited on national forest lands.

Most wildfires in Washington are caused by humans. Usually, when entering fire restrictions, Olympic National Forest bans all campfires but allows the use of propane stoves and other devices with instant "off" switches. Restrictions can affect where you are allowed to smoke, the types of roads you can travel, and if you are allowed to have a campfire. It is your responsibility to know and follow these restrictions when recreating on public lands. 

Olympic National Park has year round campfire regulations that differ from Olympic National Forest. 

Learn how you can reduce the risk of wildfires here.