Extreme fire danger and drought have prompted the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to temporarily close all recreational and public access to DNR-managed lands east of the Cascade Mountains beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 23.
The temporary closure will apply to DNR-managed state lands, conservation areas, community forests, and associated roads, trails, campgrounds, recreational sites, and recreational facilities.
The Red Apple Fire in central Washington has burned more than 12,000 acres; more than 900 fires have burned more than 140,000 acres across the state.
Wildfires throughout the West are burning in 13 states, where 78 large fires have burned 1,346,736 acres. More than 20,700 wildland firefighters and support personnel are battling the fires.
“This summer is smashing all our records and leaving the state bone dry, leaving eastern Washington to face an ongoing, tremendous risk of wildfire,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who oversees DNR. “Over the past year and a half, we have been reminded just how important our public lands are, so closing them is not a decision we take lightly. But with the drought leaving the region as dry as ever we must do all that we can to prevent human-caused fires. To get updates on recreation openings and closures, visit dnr.wa.gov/open.
Featured image courtesy of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.