Escape Routes and Smokey Skies: Tips for Hiking During Wildfire Season

Wildfire season in Washington typically peaks in July, August and September, just when hikers and campers head out to enjoy the outdoors. Burn bans, poor air quality, hazy views and a forecast of hot weather impact hikers and campers. Learn how to prevent wildfires and how to check the status on trails before you hike while fires are burning.

In the Pacific Northwest, wildfire risk generally peaks during the hot and dry months of July through September. Unsurprisingly, these are also some of the most popular months for hikers to get out and enjoy our state’s beautiful trails. Before you head out on a hike during peak wildfire season, hikers and backpackers need to keep the possibility of fire in mind and have a plan for what to do if they encounter signs of a fire in the backcountry.

BE A FIRE-SAFE HIKER

Although it's important to know how to avoid wildfires and what to do when you encounter them, equally as important is to know how to be fire-smart and not be the cause of any fires yourself.

During the wildfire season, many areas prohibit campfires altogether. If you are recreating in an area where wildfires are allowed (such as in established firepits in designated campgrounds during times with no fire restrictions), no matter the time of year, make sure you and others you're with are being responsible:

Keep your fire a manageable size to prevent losing control of the fire.
Never step away from your campfire. Make sure you have constant supervision over the fire.
Keep water and a shovel nearby to put out the fire when you need to.
Always extinguish a fire completely — it might not be obvious or visible, but fires burn underground, and may still be actively burning even if the fire looks out.
- To make sure your fire is out, douse the fire more than you think you need to, and mix the wet dirt around to cool it down further until there are no burning embers and the entire area is cool to the touch.

plan before you go

Take a tip from the pros. Firefighters don't tackle a wildfire until escape routes and safety zones have been identified and everyone knows how to reach them. This is a good approach for hikers to take during fire season. In fact, the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest recommends hikers use this strategy.

Check conditions. Checking trail, road and weather conditions are best practices for any day hike or backpacking trip. Use the tips below to consider wildfires in your conditions checks.
Size up the scene. Your favorite trail or camping spot may only have one-way access. Ask yourself where you will go if a fire should block the way out. How can you plan for your own safety? Like experienced firefighters, having a plan, escape routes and safety zones could pay off during an emergency.
Mark up a map. The best way to find out about the routes in, out, and around a specific area is to get a good map. Before you leave for your trip, study the map and mark in red all routes out (escape routes) and safety zones (an area where a person could find adequate refuge from danger). Pay attention to where the largest bodies of water are close to the trails you'll be hiking.

In addition to keeping this strategy in mind, sign up for WTA's Trail News newsletter to stay in the know on the latest hiker news and hiking tips.

A nighttime view of a glowing red fire burns in the distant forest, with a large smoke plume above it.
A view of a wildfire burning in the distance. Photo by William Johnsen.

Know where not to go

Before you head out in the heat of summer, look into the fire danger for the area you’re visiting and where any active fires may be burning.

Check official sources like inciweb.nwcg.gov for easy-to-use interactive maps and information on active wildfires across the country or the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) fire account on Twitter (@waDNR_fire) for news on local firefighting efforts.
Consult the Hike Finder Map and Hiking Guide. During wildfire season, hikers can view a wildfire and air quality overlay on the WTA Hike Finder Map. If a trail is closed because of a fire, look for a red alert indicating that they are inaccessible. You can see these in both the list view of the Hiking Guide, and on individual entries.
Talk to the land manager. Many national forests will list fire danger ratings on their websites, ranging from low to extreme, and will have details on any pertinent fire-related closures (including information on prescribed burns). If you ever have a question about hiking in a region with an active wildfire, you can also contact or visit a ranger station directly. Not sure which ranger to call for the trail you want to hike? Most of our Hiking Guide entries list the land manager under the trailhead information in the Before You Go section.
Check the forecast. Even if there isn't a current fire, it's helpful to know what the upcoming weather holds. Thunderstorms and wind can be dangerous in hot, dry conditions. Weather forecasts for a specific trailhead can also be found on our Hiking Guide entries in the Before You Go section.

Consider Air Quality

Wildfires themselves pose an obvious risk to hikers, but the smoke they emit adds an extra danger to consider. Wildfire smoke can travel great distances — large-scale fires in neighboring states (even as far as California and Montana) can have detrimental effects on air quality here in Washington.

Even if there isn’t an active fire in the area you plan on visiting, it might still be worth checking the air quality where you’re going to hike as the season heats up, especially if you are sensitive to smoke.

WTA's Hike Finder Map is a great place to get an overall view of the air quality across the state with our AQI layer. Washington’s Department of Ecology also issues daily updates on air quality around the state using a scale ranging from good to hazardous. Check the 5-day smoke forecast as well, so you’ll be able to research ahead of time and plan accordingly.

Encountering Fire on Trail

You're hiking and spot or smell smoke. What do you do?

You leave. Fires are powerful forces and they can move fast and unpredictably based on the terrain, wind and weather. If you smell smoke you can't trace back to a nearby campfire, or if you spy a column of smoke, leave immediately — even if it means cutting your trip short or leaving some gear behind. Lost gear can be replaced, lost lives cannot.

Make an effort to figure out where the fire is located in relation to you — look for the direction the smoke is coming from, or an obvious sign of a fire nearby — and head in a different direction as best you can. As you are hiking out, be sure to continue keeping track of signs of the fire.

In situations like this, it's easy to panic, but take a minute to calm down so you can think quickly but clearly. Consider possible escape routes, including roads, where you may be able to encounter more people and a faster path to safety.

Do not hesitate to call for help if you need to. It is always a good idea to bring a way to communicate with the outside world when recreating in the backcountry — personal locator beacons and two-way satellite communicators can be critical in situations like this where you need assistance. If you are able to find a safe place to shelter in place, make yourself visible from the sky to any responder drones or helicopters by laying out brightly-colored clothing or gear.

Once you make it safely away from the trail and back into cell service, you can report what you saw or smelled by calling DNR at 800-562-6010.