![DNR Campfire Ban Starts Friday for Southeast Washington](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2023/07/attachment-RS15725_200236962001.jpg?w=980&q=75)
DNR Campfire Ban Starts Friday for Southeast Washington
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is banning all campfires in the Southeast Region of Washington State.
With fire danger reaching extreme levels in the Lower Columbia Basin, no open flame is allowed across the region’s 17 counties including Franklin, Benton and Walla Walla counties.
"No flame to the ground, even if it's in a fire pit. We're trying to reduce the amount of ignition sources that are on the landscape." DNR Communcations Manager Kenny Ocker said. "About 90% of all the fires that we fight in Washington are human-caused. Only 10% of the fires in Washington State are caused by lightning."
The DNR wants to get the word out because many people with plans to go camping may neglect to pack the essentials for cooking such as a propane or backpacking stoves which are legal.
"Everywhere where people think they can have campfires, there are signs. Our staff will be out doing their normal enforcement and education to ensure people are aware of this (ban)."
The restriction on campfires includes popular recreation destinations in the Teanaway Community Forest near Cle Elum and the Ahtanum State Forest west of Yakima.
The DNR says an uptick of fires in forested areas east of the Cascades indicates that we are entering the heart of fire season in the Pacific Northwest.
![610 KONA logo](https://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2022/04/attachment-900.jpg?w=100)
Top 10-Tri-Cities Campgrounds
Gallery Credit: Patti Banner
More From 610 KONA
![Washington State Releases New Tsunami Evacuation Maps](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2023/10/attachment-em_nr_tsunami_evacuation_map.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Prescribed Burns a Powerful Tool Against Wildfire](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2023/08/attachment-Untitled-design9.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Burn Ban In Effect For Lower Kittitas County](http://townsquare.media/site/1134/files/2015/12/burn-ban.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Crews Finishing Work On 76 Acre Douglas County Fire](http://townsquare.media/site/1134/files/2020/06/40617725_l-scaled.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Prescribed Burns Planned For Washington’s Stevens County](http://townsquare.media/site/1144/files/2020/03/Fire-Field-Burn.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Expect Traffic Delays on US 2 and I-90 Due to the Bolt Creek Fire](http://townsquare.media/site/1134/files/2022/09/attachment-Bolt-Creek-Fire-2.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![This Washington Fire Year Really Isn’t Easy!](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2024/07/attachment-Easy-Fire.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Exhausted Fire Crews Watch As Washington Burns](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2024/07/attachment-6.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Meet Zira…Our Tri-Cities Animal Shelter Pet of The Week](http://townsquare.media/site/1130/files/2024/07/attachment-zira-feature.jpg?w=980&q=75)