Live fire weather for Montana

Montana Campfire Rules and Burn Bans, With Live Fire Weather

Q: What is the campfire rule at Montana state parks and forests?

Wildlife & Parks says: “Campfires allowed within established steel fire grates at all state parks and some fishing access sites under State I Fire Restrictions—consult the FWP Restrictions and Closures page or the nearest FWP regional office for listing of fishing access sites where fires are allowed in established steel fire grates.”

Q: Are campfires allowed on national forest land in Montana?

USDA Forest Service says: “Please use existing fire rings and avoid creating new fire rings. Contact local district office for information on fire restrictions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before camping.”

Q: Where are burn bans and fire restrictions posted in Montana?

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is the source this page found, at https://fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions-and-closures/fire-restriction-definitions. A county or a single forest can order a stricter ban than the state, so also ask the local fire department or ranger district.

Q: What does a red flag warning mean for a campfire in Montana?

A red flag warning is the National Weather Service saying warm temperatures, very low humidity and strong winds make a fire spread fast. It is a weather product, not a ban, but many agencies tighten or end campfires when one is out. The live panel on this page shows any warning, fire weather watch or fire warning for the state right now.

Wildlife & Parks sets the campfire rule for Montana's state parks and forests. Burn bans and fire restrictions are posted by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Live National Weather Service fire weather alerts for Montana load on the page.

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Burn bans and restrictions: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

The rule

The campfire rule in Montana

Campfires in state parks and forests

Campfires allowed within established steel fire grates at all state parks and some fishing access sites under State I Fire Restrictions—consult the FWP Restrictions and Closures page or the nearest FWP regional office for listing of fishing access sites where fires are allowed in established steel fire grates.

Wildlife & Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source

Campfires on national forest and BLM land

Please use existing fire rings and avoid creating new fire rings. Contact local district office for information on fire restrictions. It is your responsibility to know if fire restrictions are in effect before camping.

USDA Forest Service, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source

Where fire restrictions are posted

Find current fire restriction information by county for the state of Montana at MTFire.org

Wildlife & Parks, read October 18, 2026. Read it at the source

Current restrictions: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Quoted from pages read October 18, 2026. A county, a national forest or a single park can order a stricter ban than the state, so ask the local fire department or ranger district before you light a fire.

Planning a trip

Camping in Montana

The Montana camping guide has the months when the weather works, how Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks books sites, the rule for camping outside a campground and a live weekend forecast for your campsite.

Montana campfire questions

What is the campfire rule at Montana state parks and forests?

Are campfires allowed on national forest land in Montana?

Where are burn bans and fire restrictions posted in Montana?

What does a red flag warning mean for a campfire in Montana?

Campfire rules in other states

Fire danger in MontanaToday’s fire danger and what it means for a campfire Burn permits in MontanaWhen a permit is needed to burn Firewood permits in MontanaCutting and moving firewood Park openings in MontanaWhen parks and campgrounds open for the season Bear season in MontanaBears at camp and how to store food Tick forecast in MontanaTick activity for the trail and the campsite Mosquito forecast in MontanaMosquito activity near water Drought in MontanaDry conditions that tighten fire rules Air quality in MontanaWildfire smoke and the air you will breathe

Where this page’s facts come from

State park, forestry and federal land pages (read October 18, 2026). Booking windows, reservation systems, campfire rules, fire restriction sources and rules for camping outside a campground, each quoted word for word with a link to the page it came from.
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020 (read October 18, 2026). Average monthly high, low and nights at or below 32 F at 150 reference stations, the same stations the heat season and heating season pages use.
National Weather Service alerts (live, read in your browser when the page loads). Red Flag Warnings, Fire Weather Watches, Fire Warnings, Freeze Warnings and High Wind Warnings, read live from api.weather.gov.
National Weather Service 7 day forecast (live, read in your browser when the page loads). The weekend forecast for the ZIP code a visitor enters, read live from api.weather.gov.

Campfire rules across the country