Fire Season Camping in WA

The short version

Three things decide whether you can have a fire: whether a Total Fire Ban is in force that day, your council’s burning period, and the rules of the campground itself.1 2
On a Total Fire Ban day there are no campfires, even in a fire pit, and no wood or charcoal cooking in the open.3
Dates differ by council. This season Denmark’s prohibited burning period starts on 16 December, while Augusta Margaret River’s usually starts on 23 December.4 5
Check Emergency WA each evening and morning. Many parks have little or no phone signal, so check before you lose coverage.3 6

Total Fire Bans

A Total Fire Ban is declared on days when fires are most likely to threaten lives and property, because of extreme fire weather or because widespread fires are already burning and firefighters are stretched.3 The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) says bans are announced in the afternoon the day before or on the day, usually start at midnight and last 24 hours, and can be cancelled if conditions change. They are declared across a whole local government area.3

What it means for campers, according to DFES

No campfires. It is illegal to light, keep or use a fire in the open air, and that includes fire pits and drums.3
No wood or charcoal cooking in the open. DFES says you cannot use a barbecue, smoker or cooker that needs solid or liquid fuel (it lists wood, charcoal, pellets, methylated spirits and kerosene) in an area that is not fully enclosed. A verandah or pergola that is open to the weather does not count as enclosed.3
Gas and electric are allowed, with conditions. A gas barbecue is allowed if it has an enclosed flame and is used at home or in an authorised area, such as a public park, with all flammable material cleared for 5 metres around it. An electric barbecue is allowed. Barbecues with an exposed flame are not.3
No fire in national parks or forest reserves.3
No driving off the road where the vehicle touches vegetation. That means a 4WD, motorbike or quad on land with plants, living or dead. Roads, tracks and bare sand or clay are fine.3

DFES says you could receive a $1,000 infringement for breaking a ban, and on conviction face a fine of up to $25,000 and up to 12 months in jail.3

How to check: DFES lists the Emergency WA website, the Total Fire Ban information line on 1800 709 355, 13 DFES (13 3337) and ABC local radio. Emergency WA usually shows tomorrow’s ban after 5 pm.3

Council burning periods

On top of Total Fire Bans, each local government sets restricted and prohibited burning times for the months of high bushfire threat. DFES says the dates and the restricted activities differ between local governments, so check each place you plan to visit.1 During a restricted burning period, DFES says you cannot light an outdoor fire for camping or cooking on days when the Fire Danger Rating is High, Extreme or Catastrophic.1

Two South West examples, read on 19 October 2026:

Shire of Denmark
Prohibited burning period: 16 December 2026 to 15 March 2027. Restricted burning periods: 1 November to 15 December 2026, and 16 March to 30 April 2027. The Shire says any fire lit in the prohibited period is an offence, and that camp and cooking fires are not allowed in Shire reserves, on beaches or in roadside parking bays at any time of year.4 7
Shire of Augusta Margaret River
Prohibited burning period: typically 23 December to 14 March. Restricted burning periods: 9 November to 22 December and 15 March to 12 May. These dates can change with the season. Campfires and fire pits are not allowed at all in the prohibited period, and in the restricted period they are not allowed on Shire land except in areas the Shire designates.5 The Shire’s visitor page says campfires are for authorised campgrounds only, in the fire rings provided, and that only gas cooking appliances are allowed without a permit in the prohibited period.8

For anywhere else, DFES says to check the council’s website or call them.3

Fire Danger Ratings

The Fire Danger Rating is a daily rating for your Fire Weather District. DFES uses five levels, each with a message: No Rating, Moderate (plan and prepare), High (be ready to act), Extreme (take action now) and Catastrophic (leave bushfire risk areas).9 1 “No Rating” does not mean a fire cannot start. It means fires are not expected to spread dangerously, and you still need to follow the local seasonal rules.9

Ratings are given by district, not by council area. WA has 47 districts, and DFES updated the boundaries from late August 2026, so look up your district again on Emergency WA by searching for the place you are heading to.9 You can also check ratings on the Bureau of Meteorology’s website or by calling 13 3337.9 DBCA says tomorrow’s ratings are generally available from 4 pm.10

DBCA says not to go onto a trail, or stay on one, when the rating is Extreme or Catastrophic, and that parks and trails may be closed on those days.11

Fire rules in DBCA campgrounds

Some campgrounds never allow campfires. Others allow them in the seasons when it is safe, and only in the fire pits provided.2
Very generally, there is a period from 1 December to 31 March when campfires are not allowed at any time of day or night. It varies by place and by year.2
Restrictions can start immediately, without notice, at any time or place. DBCA says it cannot guarantee you will be able to have a campfire.2
Collecting firewood, kindling, dead wood or leaves in a park is not allowed, so bring your own. There are also rules on moving firewood, so check them first.2
Stoves and barbecues that burn solid fuel follow the campfire rules. Gas or liquid-fuel stoves can be used at any time unless a Total Fire Ban has been declared, and should never be left unattended.2
DBCA publishes a table of the current campfire conditions at each campground.10
Campgrounds and parks can be closed because of a bushfire, or an unacceptably high risk of one.11

Looking after a campfire, where one is allowed

Light fires only in the fire ring provided.2
Clear branches, leaves and twigs at least 3 metres around and above the fire, and keep it at least 3 metres from tents, gear, gas bottles and fuel cans.1
Keep it small, never leave it unattended, and keep a bucket of water close.2 1
Put it out with water, not soil, before you leave or go to bed. DFES says a buried fire can stay hot for more than eight hours.1
Do not burn glass, aerosol cans or unopened tins of food. They can explode.1

If a fire starts, and if you have no signal

For a bushfire, call 000. DBCA also suggests the Emergency+ app and says to download it before your trip. If there is no mobile coverage you cannot call 000, but the app can show you your GPS location.11 DBCA says to listen to ABC local radio for bushfire warnings, and not to count on being rescued, because emergency staff may not reach you in time.11

Many parks have limited or no mobile coverage, so you cannot always rely on a phone for safety.6 That is why it pays to check the ban and the rating before you leave signal, and to have a bushfire plan. DFES’s bushfire pages explain how to make one.1

Find places near you

Our Camping near pages list the campsites, caravan parks and rest areas on record near each town, from open data. Each place says whether Trek Eleven has checked it, and unchecked places are only suggestions. They do not say that camping is allowed, free or open, so read the sources above first.

Albany Augusta Bunbury Busselton Collie Denmark Dunsborough Margaret River Pemberton Walpole

Open the app (testing)

Sources

Every rule, fee and date above comes from one of these official pages, written up in our own words. We read each page on 19 October 2026. Rules change, so open the page itself before you rely on it.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Trek Eleven has not visited the places it mentions and does not say that any of them is open, safe or allowed.

Fire season camping in WA.