Fire ban lifted at Mt. Rainier National Park

ASHFORD — Mount Rainier National Park has lifted the parkwide fire ban according to a release on Sept. 16.

Campfires will be permitted at the park’s three campgrounds, the release said, the Ohanapecosh Campground, the Cougar Rock Campground and the White River Campground.

The release states the ban was put in place to reduce the risk of human-caused wildland fire during critical weather conditions, ongoing unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke and increased concerns related to nearby wildfire activity.

Developed campground guidelines include:

• Fires must be fully contained within the closed grate.
• Never burn trash and do not leave fires unattended.
• Branches, twigs, and cones nourish the forest as they decompose; do not collect these materials to create a fire.
• Dry firewood can be purchased within the park at the Longmire General Store. To protect Mount Rainier National Park’s forests, please “Buy It Where You Burn It” – firewood brought in from other areas may contain invasive insect species that pose a serious threat to park habitats.
• Fires are never permitted on trails or in the park’s wilderness.