Fire Restrictions

Nevada State Parks is committed to protecting all residents and visitors through fostering wildfire-resilient landscapes and communities. As the weather warms up and Nevadans spend more time outdoors, we encourage visitors to recreate safely and responsibly to help prevent wildfires, protect lives and property, and preserve our precious natural wonders that we all love.

9/12/2020 - Updated Fire Restrictions

NOTICE: To align with Washoe County fire restrictions, Washoe Lake State Park's fire restrictions are currently more restrictive and do not allow fire of any kind, including propane stoves and fire pits.

These statewide fire restrictions apply to all Nevada State Parks:​

• NO building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire (even in an established fire ring), charcoal BBQ or stove fire (except a portable stove using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel).
• NO smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle.
• NO welding, or operating an acetylene torch with open flames, except by permit.
• NO using, or causing to be used, any explosive, except by permit.
• NO discharge, use, or allowing the use of fireworks, tracer rounds, explosive targets, or any other incendiary device.
• NO operating or parking a vehicle or other motorized equipment over or on top of dried/cured vegetation and/or off Forest System Roads.

In response to the current severe risk of wildfire, the multiple agencies, including Nevada State Parks, are elevating the current fire restrictions beginning Friday, August 7, 2020 at midnight. The heightened restrictions will prohibit all open flame campfires and BBQs on state and federal lands, including within developed campgrounds, day use areas and dispersed camp areas.

Land managers increase fire restrictions based on several factors. Currently, Nevada is experiencing record dry conditions with much of the state in a severe drought. The monsoonal moisture that is typical for this time of year has not yet surfaced, and officials expect the already critically dry fuels to continue to deteriorate ever further throughout the month of August.

Due to the current fuel conditions, there is a high likelihood of a fire exhibiting extreme behavior and posing containment problems for firefighters. State and federal agencies have also experienced an increase in public land use and human-caused fires. To date, there have been more human-caused fires across the state than what is normally averaged in an entire year. Based on a combination of these factors and Nevada’s public land management agencies commitment to protecting its residents, fire restrictions are being updated to better match the current wildfire season and conditions.

The restrictions will remain in place until further notice and will be jointly mandated and enforced by each agency in coordination with city and county governments and wildfire agencies. Members of the public are cautioned that failure to comply with these restrictions may result in criminal and/or civil penalties. An individual can be fined up to $5,000 and/or six months in jail for illegal campfires. In addition, anyone found responsible for starting a wildfire can be held civilly and criminally liable.