Six Rivers National Forest imposes fire restrictions ahead of holiday weekend

Six Rivers National Forest tightened fire rules on July 3 as the holiday weekend began, limiting open flames across forest lands in Humboldt County and nearby North Coast recreation areas. The order runs through November 16, conditions permitting, and it covers all Six Rivers National Forest land, plus land administered by the forest, including the Ukonom Ranger District of the Klamath National Forest.

For campers, the practical change is immediate. Campfires are still allowed only in designated fire-safe sites, developed recreation sites and designated wilderness areas. In the places where campfires and charcoal barbecues are normally allowed with a valid California Campfire Permit, those activities are now subject to the new restriction order. That means people heading to forest campgrounds, roadside pullouts, trailheads or dispersed sites need to check the current rules before lighting anything that burns, cooks or throws sparks.

The restriction lands at one of the busiest points of the summer, when holiday visitors, hunters, anglers and off-road users move deeper into the woods and along forest roads. That makes enforcement most likely to matter at the places where people stop, gather and camp, especially around developed recreation sites, wilderness access points and other public-land areas where fires are easiest to start and hardest to control. The forest’s current conditions page also says fireworks, including sparklers and so-called safe and sane fireworks, are prohibited in national forests.

The move follows a broader tightening across the North Coast. The BLM Arcata Field Office began seasonal fire restrictions on June 28 across public lands in Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity and Mendocino counties, a sign that federal land managers are moving in step rather than waiting for the dry spell to deepen further. The Bureau of Land Management says human-related activities are a leading cause of wildfires on public lands, a risk that climbs sharply around the July 4 holiday.

Six Rivers also acted early last summer in response to changing conditions. The forest lifted fire restrictions on October 1, 2025, after precipitation, shorter days and colder nights improved the landscape, after temporary restrictions that began July 23, 2025. This year’s order shows the season has shifted back toward prevention, with normal summer habits now carrying more limits on public land from the coast to the backcountry.