Frequently Asked Questions

What is BurnBound?

BurnBound is a free tool that monitors fire restrictions. BurnBound aggregates burn ban data from over 379 jurisdictions — including counties, fire districts, national forests, BLM field offices, national parks, state parks, and NWS fire weather zones — into a single interactive map and status dashboard.

Instead of checking dozens of individual county, federal, and fire district websites, you can see the current fire restriction status for any location in one place.

Is this an official government site?

No. BurnBound is an independent project that aggregates publicly available data. BurnBound is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any government agency, fire district, or land management organization.

The use of agency names and data on this site is for informational purposes only.

Where does the data come from?

BurnBound collects fire restriction data from the following public sources:

• National Weather Service (NWS) — Red Flag Warnings for 55 fire weather zones
• U.S. Forest Service (USFS) — Fire restrictions across 12 national forests and 54 ranger districts
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM) — 10 field offices
• National Park Service (NPS) — 12 national parks and monuments
• Counties — All 64 county governments
• Fire protection districts — 244 districts
• State parks — 42 state parks (follow county-level restrictions)

How often is data updated?

Automated scrapers run on different schedules depending on the data source:

• NWS weather alerts — checked every 5 minutes
• All other sources (counties, USFS, BLM, fire districts, etc.) — checked every 1 hour

Between scraper runs, displayed data may lag behind official sources. In the worst case, data could be up to 4 hours behind the latest official updates. The map page shows when data was last refreshed and when the next update is scheduled.

How accurate is the data?

BurnBound uses automated scraping with quality checks to keep data as accurate as possible. The Live Status dashboard shows the current data accuracy percentage and health status of each data source in real time.

However, automated data collection has inherent limitations — source websites can change their format, go offline temporarily, or update in ways scrapers don't catch immediately. Some jurisdictions may show as "low confidence" on the map when their data source has been unreachable.

Always verify fire restriction status with official sources before making any fire-related decisions. This tool is a convenient starting point, not a definitive authority.

What do the ban levels mean?

• Stage 1 Fire Ban — Restrictions on open burning, campfires, and certain outdoor activities. Specific rules vary by jurisdiction. Typically bans open fires outside of designated fire grates and prohibits fireworks.
• Stage 2 Fire Ban — More severe restrictions. Usually prohibits all open flames outdoors, including campfires in designated grates, smoking outdoors, and use of charcoal grills. Some jurisdictions restrict chainsaw use and welding.
• Full Closure — Area is closed to public access due to extreme fire danger. Entry is prohibited.
• Red Flag Warning — A National Weather Service alert indicating weather conditions that create a high wildfire risk (hot, dry, windy). Not a fire ban itself, but often precedes or accompanies fire restrictions.

Some jurisdictions use non-standard level numbering. When this is the case, we display their local terminology alongside our standardized levels.

Why is my whole county highlighted when only part of it has restrictions?

BurnBound monitors fire restrictions at the jurisdiction level — meaning if any part of a jurisdiction has an active restriction, we highlight the entire jurisdiction on the map. This is a limitation of how fire restriction data is published: most agencies announce a single restriction status for their entire jurisdiction, without machine-readable sub-area breakdowns.

In reality, some restrictions may only apply to specific areas within a jurisdiction. For example:

• A county may restrict burns only in unincorporated wildland areas, not within city limits
• A national forest may close specific ranger districts while others remain open
• A fire district may issue restrictions for high-risk zones only

When you see a highlighted jurisdiction, it means restrictions exist somewhere within it — not necessarily everywhere. Click the jurisdiction on the map and use the official source links to check the exact scope of any active restriction.

Can I use this for trip planning?

BurnBound is a useful general reference for understanding which areas currently have fire restrictions. It can help you plan ahead and know what to expect.

However, restrictions can change rapidly — especially during fire season. Always verify with local authorities (ranger stations, county sheriff offices, fire districts) before your trip, especially if you plan to have campfires or use any open flame.

How do I report an error?

If you see incorrect data, a broken link, or any other issue, you can report it in several ways:

• Report Issue button — Available on every jurisdiction popup and ban card on the map. Click it to submit a targeted report.
• Contact form — Use our contact page to send a detailed message. Select "Data Correction" as the reason.
• Feedback button — Available on every page (in the yellow banner at the top). Click "Send Feedback" and describe the issue.
• Email — Contact us at contact@burnbound.io

Your feedback directly improves accuracy for everyone. BurnBound investigates every report.