In a sign of how quickly the 2026 fire season has escalated, the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Wildland Fire Service moved to impose fire restrictions across Oregon and Washington well ahead of the typical summer schedule, citing rapidly deteriorating fuel conditions and an elevated ignition risk across the region.

Restrictions Took Effect May 13–14

BLM fire restrictions went into effect on May 14 on all Bureau of Land Management-administered lands throughout Oregon and Washington — an unusually early date for such a broad-scale action. Separately, Stage 1 fire restrictions were implemented May 13 across Central Oregon public lands, covering National Forest and BLM lands in and around Crook, Wheeler, Jefferson, and surrounding counties.

Under Stage 1 restrictions, the following are prohibited:

  • Campfires, charcoal fires, and all open flames including portable propane campfires and wood pellet burning devices.
  • Use of fireworks, exploding targets, and sky lanterns.
  • Smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or in a developed recreation site.
  • Operating equipment with an unshielded flame.

Additional closures have been announced for portions of BLM-administered Crook County lands following active wildfire incidents in the area, according to reporting from Central Oregon Daily. A closure map and full details are available at blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-info/oregon-washington/fire-restrictions.

Why So Early?

"We are increasingly concerned that 2026 could rival the most extreme years on record for heat and dryness in the Pacific Northwest," said Jeff Fedrizzi, a BLM fire official, in a statement accompanying the restriction announcement. Fine fuels — the grasses and brush that carry early-season fires — dried out weeks ahead of schedule this year due to a warmer, below-average snowpack winter season. Vegetation that typically remains green through June in many parts of Eastern Oregon and Washington is already at fire-season moisture levels.

Southern Oregon Also Moving

Portions of Jackson and Josephine counties in Southern Oregon have also begun implementing seasonal restrictions tied to wildfire prevention. State agencies are coordinating to align restriction zones and ensure consistent messaging across federal and state lands.

What This Means for Visitors

Memorial Day weekend — typically the busiest camping weekend of the year — arrived this year under a restriction framework that will surprise many first-time visitors to public lands. Recreators and campers planning trips to Central or Eastern Oregon, the Columbia Gorge, and adjacent public lands should:

  • Check current fire restriction status before their trip at campfire restrictions maps on the Forest Service and BLM websites.
  • Bring a camp stove with a shut-off valve as an alternative to campfires — these are permitted under Stage 1 restrictions.
  • Understand that violations of fire restrictions are federal offenses and may result in significant fines.
  • Properly dispose of cigarettes and never toss them from a vehicle window.

Fire officials emphasize that the restrictions are proactive measures designed to reduce the number of human-caused ignitions before high-severity fire conditions arrive in full force. In 2022 and 2020, early-season human-caused fires in restricted areas contributed to some of the region's most damaging fire events.