Regardless of location or fire danger level, you must adhere to the following rules. Campfires must not exceed 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet in height and may only use firewood or charcoal as fuel -- don't burn garbage or other substances in campfires. Off federal or state lands you must obtain permission from the landowner to build a campfire; you must respect countywide burn bans even on private lands. On state-owned lands, fires must be built in designated areas of open campgrounds. If you are engaging in dispersed camping -- only allowed on federal land -- you must build a rock perimeter around your campfire.
Never build fires under overhanging branches or brush -- your fire should have at least 20 feet of clearance above it and 10 feet of clearance around it. Build fires at least 50 feet away from structures. Never leave a campfire unattended, and always make sure it is fully extinguished before you leave the campground.
When the National Fire Danger Rating System is at Level Green, or Low, there are no additional restrictions or bans on campfires. Fires will not spread because of high moisture levels. You should still take general precautions, including only building campfires in designated pits or fire rings. There are no restrictions on cooking with gas or propane grills.
Level Blue, or Moderate, means that more restrictions are in place because of drier conditions. At this level, open campfires may be prohibited, with campfires only allowed in fire grates provided by designated campgrounds or similar permanent structures on private property. There are no restrictions on cooking with gas or propane grills, however.
Yellow, Orange and Red stand for High, Very High and Extreme, respectively. These levels of risk indicate conditions that will allow a fire to spread rapidly and thrive until forcibly put out. Fires will spread and grow rapidly from embers or fire-lighting instruments, including matches and lighters. Level Red indicates that conditions are right for large, fast-spreading wildfires. In Washington State, wide-ranging burn bans are common when fire risks are high. No charcoal or wood fires of any kind are permitted in wooded areas. Only contained propane, gas and electrical fires are permitted, and even those may be restricted. All campfires must be elevated and extreme caution is necessary.
State and federal forests may have additional restrictions. For example, you may not build campfires above 5,000 feet elevation in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness or within a half-mile of many of the lakes within Wenatchee National Forest. These vary, so contact the ranger district that oversees your camping area.
Fires are allowed on many Washington beaches, but be sure to build them at least 100 feet away from dunes, towards the ocean.
