Most national parks see their highest visitation numbers in the summer, but the hot, dry months also bring increased wildfire risks.
Last week, multiple parks implemented closures, alerts and campfire restrictions due to wildfires within or nearby park boundaries. Most fires were reportedly caused by lightning storms.
Fire Alerts and Closures
Lassen Volcanic National Park has closed as of July 27 due to the Park Fire in California. Fire officials speculate that the fire has potential to reach both Manzanita Lake and Mineral Headquarters. Staff are reportedly scrambling to save historic artifacts stored in the 1927 Loomis Museum. Rose Worley, who took over leadership for the park three months ago, said employee accountability and the safety and well-being of employees and visitors is her number one priority. Her second goal is to protect the park’s resources and many historic buildings.
A resident reported a fire in Hop Valley, Zion NP on July 24. The three to five acre fire has since grown to 24 acres and is being fought by 40 wildland firefighters. The fire was reportedly started by lightning. The Hop Valley trail is closed, but the Kolob Terrace road is currently open and unaffected.
In North Cascades NP, park officials closed Cascade River Road, Cascade Pass Trail and Johannesburg Cross-country Zone to manage visitor safety due to the nearby Pincer Two Fire in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Wildfires and road closures are resulting in evacuations and restricted access to areas of the park. The park is being heavily affected by the Pioneer Fire, the Pincer Two Fire and the Easy Fire, according to their Fire Closures page.
Other parks, such as Yosemite NP and Rocky Mountain NP, have also been dealing with multiple wildfires. Yosemite Fire has responded to 14 fires since July 13, 2024, with three active fires remaining as of last week. Two small, lightning-caused fires in Rocky Mountain NP were contained quickly and didn’t result in any closures.
In response to dry and hot conditions, multiple national parks implemented campfire restrictions and bans last week.
Yellowstone NP, Olympic NP and Crater Lake NP all announced that the respective parks are at “very high” fire danger, and they are implementing restrictions on recreational fires and urging visitors to be extremely cautious with flammable materials.
Yellowstone NP officials reported that their wildland fire crews have responded to and controlled four lightning-caused fires in the last week. They are implementing Stage 1 fire restrictions. This prohibits all wood and charcoal fires in the backcountry, including those in established fire rings. In the frontcountry and developed areas, fires are still permitted in established fire rings. Visitors who tend the fires are encouraged to be vigilant about maintaining and extinguishing the fire safely.
Olympic NP and Olympic National Forest have instituted a full ban on all campfires. The ban applies to anything that produces ash and extends to the coastal regions of the park and forest. Most of the Olympic Peninsula has received less than 1/10 of an inch of rainfall in the last 20 days, and these conditions are expected to continue throughout the summer.
“The number of wildland fires are increasing across the region and country,” said Jeff Bortner, Interagency Fire Management Officer, in a news release last week. “As a result, resources and incident management teams are working at maximum capacity. We are therefore using every option to eliminate ignition sources and prevent the establishment of an unwanted fire on the Olympic Peninsula. Banning campfires, including the use of charcoal, allows us to reduce the risk of new fires forming on the landscape.”
Nearby, Crater Lake NP in southern Oregon is also instituting a full fire ban in the park.
Lasting Effects of Fire Season
As wildfires are contained and extinguished, park closures often remain in place until safe conditions are ensured. Burned landscapes can present a number of safety concerns, including burned stump holes and root chambers, unstable terrain and falling debris. These conditions can persist for years after a fire.
Many of the Western states have been dealing with the more distant effects of these fires, including smoke and air quality warnings.
To see current air quality conditions in the parks, you can visit the NPS Air Quality in Parks page.
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