About BurnBound

Our Mission

BurnBound's mission is to make fire restriction information across the United States accessible, centralized, and easy to understand. Every state has its own patchwork of overlapping jurisdictions — counties, fire districts, national forests, BLM field offices, national parks, and more — each with their own burn ban policies and communication channels.

Before BurnBound, checking whether you could have a campfire meant bouncing between a dozen different websites, piecing together information from scattered sources, and hoping the data was current. We believe everyone heading outdoors deserves a single, reliable place to check fire restrictions before they go.

Who Built This

BurnBound was created by the BurnBound Team out of firsthand frustration. After wasting too much time researching and gas driving to camping spots only to find out campfires were banned, we decided to build the tool we wished existed — one place to check fire restrictions before heading out.

BurnBound is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any government agency, fire district, or land management organization. It is currently in open beta as we refine data accuracy and expand coverage.

Coverage

BurnBound launched with Colorado and currently tracks over 379 jurisdictions across the state:

• 64 counties — all Colorado county governments
• 244 fire protection districts — local fire districts, including 18 with confirmed independent burn ban authority
• 12 national forests (54 ranger districts) — U.S. Forest Service lands
• 10 BLM field offices — Bureau of Land Management areas
• 12 national parks and monuments — National Park Service sites
• 42 state parks — Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• 55 NWS fire weather zones — Red Flag Warning coverage

Our goal is nationwide coverage. We're expanding to the western states first, then the rest of the country — anywhere people camp and burn outdoors. If you'd like to see your state added, let us know.

How to Use This Site

BurnBound is a starting point, not a final answer. Here is the recommended workflow:

1. Open the map and find your destination. Click on the area to see what jurisdictions cover that location — there are often multiple overlapping jurisdictions (county, fire district, federal land) at a single point.
2. Check the restriction level for each jurisdiction shown. Pay attention to all of them — the most restrictive one that applies to your specific land is the one you need to follow.
3. Use the filter panel to toggle between Wood and Propane views if you want to know specifically whether propane fire pits are allowed.
4. Click through to the official source. Every jurisdiction popup includes links to the official status page, rules page, and/or policy page. Read the actual restriction order carefully. These official documents contain the precise language about what is allowed or prohibited, any exceptions (such as designated campground grates or specific stove types), effective dates, and expiration information. Official pages may also include maps, press releases, or additional local rules that the summary on BurnBound cannot fully capture.
5. Check again before you go. Conditions change fast. A jurisdiction that was unrestricted yesterday can issue a Stage 2 ban today. Make it a habit to check the day of your trip.

BurnBound monitors hundreds of jurisdictions and updates automatically, but automated systems have limitations. Some source websites go down, block automated access, or update in ways our scrapers do not catch immediately. Always verify with the official source before making fire-related decisions.

Get Involved

BurnBound is a community resource and we welcome your input:

• Report errors — See wrong data? Use the "Report Issue" button on any jurisdiction or contact us
• Send feedback — The yellow "Send Feedback" banner is on every page
• Sponsor — Help keep this free for everyone. Reach out about sponsorship