Yosemite, Arches, Canyonlands and Lassen Volcanic national parks implemented fire restrictions in early August due to extreme heat and elevated fire danger, the National Park Service announced.
Yosemite is restricting all open fire activity below 8,000 feet elevation. The restrictions across all four parks affect campfires, portable stoves and other ignition sources in some of the country’s most heavily visited public lands during peak summer vacation season.
Combined summer visitation to these four parks exceeds several million visitors annually. The restrictions are effective immediately and will remain in place until conditions improve.
The fire restrictions reflect the severity of the current Western fire weather environment, which has also produced the Washington state wildfires that prompted a presidential emergency declaration and military deployment on Aug. 4.
Visitors planning camping trips to the affected parks will need to adjust their plans, as the restrictions eliminate the ability to build campfires at most elevations. Some parks are permitting propane stoves in designated areas.
The National Interagency Fire Center has reported above-normal fire potential across much of the Western United States through August and September. The combination of extreme heat, low humidity and dry vegetation has created conditions favorable for rapid fire ignition and spread.
Park rangers will enforce the restrictions and can issue citations to visitors who violate fire rules. Previous years’ enforcement actions have included fines exceeding $5,000 for fire-restriction violations in national parks.