Fire restrictions and fire orders on public land

Forest Service regulations list activities that become prohibited “when provided by an order”, starting with building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire, and including smoking outside a vehicle, building or cleared area. A forest supervisor issues the order, names the area and the dates, and lists the exceptions. BLM offices issue their own orders the same way.

Orders are posted on the forest’s or field office’s alerts page, often as a signed PDF with a number such as 03-26-07. They can start, change stage or end at any time.

Many western agencies coordinate restrictions in stages. Each order has its own wording, but the stages usually mean:

• Stage 1: campfires only in agency-provided fire rings at developed campgrounds and recreation sites, and smoking only in a vehicle, building or cleared area.
• Stage 2: no campfires anywhere, including developed sites, with further limits on smoking and on running engines and equipment.
• In both stages, portable stoves and lanterns using gas or pressurized liquid fuel with a shut-off valve are usually allowed.

Because a dispersed site has no agency fire ring, even a Stage 1 order usually means no campfire. Plan to cook on a stove, and in California carry a campfire permit for the stove too.

Every area page shows the fire order found when the area was checked, with its number and dates, and links to the alerts page. Orders change often, so check that page in the days before you go.