Wildland Fire History

 
Historic photo of a vintage Osborn fire finder points towards Mount Rainier from the inside of a fire lookout.
An Osborn Fire Finder sits facing Mount Rainier from inside the Shriner Fire Lookout Station.

NPS Photo

Mount Rainier isn’t just a mountain with a helmet of ice — it’s a landscape shaped partially by fire. From trees that reveal evidence of fires in their rings to the proliferation of huckleberry plants across the park, evidence has shown that fire has been a tool that plays a complex and crucial role in renewing forests, maintaining meadows, and keeping ecosystems healthy.

Since the park's establishement in 1899, both natural and human-caused fires have been treated aggressively and suppressed as soon as they've been spotted. Since then, however, the park's relationship to fire has become more nuanced and fires have been acknowledged as a necessary part of healthy forest management to benefit the park's ecosystem.

Every fire that has occurred at Mount Rainier has a lesson to teach if we only pay attention. Read below to see how relationships and responses towards fires have changed over time.
 

     

A Sampling of Fire History

The vision of the national park system has evolved with our changing country. Wildland fire has been no different and has always been a concern of the National Park Service. Ideas and perspectives on wildland fire have shifted and re-shifted, but the concern for preserving and protecting priceless pieces of nature and culture have always been the top priority.

Here is a timeline of the key events of wildland fire at Mount Rainier.

 

     

Past Wildland Fires

Here is a timeline of more recent wildland fires at Mount Rainier.

 

Fire Today

Though still quite rare, fire is recognized as an essential part of Mount Rainier’s ecosystem. Under the park’s Fire Management Plan, fires are managed in different ways depending on weather, location, fuel conditions, and park ranger and visitor safety.
 

Fire Facts

465 Years

Average “natural fire rotation” in Mount Rainier National Park’s forest before modern fire suppression. That means fire historically burned the same area every ~465 years.

61,750 Acres

Estimated size of the largest ancient fire based on tree ring data. That’s about 26% of the entire park!

22 Lightning Strikes

The record for most lightning–ignited fires in one year (1990) all during a single storm.

11,000 Acres

Burned in the largest modern fire 1930s, caused be escaped flames during road construction (Sunset Park fire).

83 Fires in 10 Years

Between 1987 and 1997, Mount Rainier recorded 83 fires; 37 were caused by lightning and naturally extinguished.

85% Human Caused

Most fires from 1930 – 1985 were caused by people — often near roads and developed areas.

400 Acres

Area burned in the Redstone Fire of 2003, one of the most notable recent fires managed under modern fire policy.

<5 Acres

Most fires are historically small due to wet conditions and quick response.

700 Years

Time it can take for old-growth Douglas-fir forests to return after a stand-replace fire.
 
An active fire consuming a tree from the bottom of the forest.
Wildland Fire Information

Updates and information about active wildfires affecting the park.

A plume of wildfire smoke rises from behind a forested mountain ridge.
Wildland Fire Smoke

Smoky conditions can affect air quality, health issues, and impair visibility.

A view of Mount Rainier noticeably obscured by a hazy atmosphere.
Air Quality

Air quality, which can be affected by wildfire smoke and other pollutants, is one of the environmental factors monitored in the park.

Last updated: August 1, 2025

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