The Pennsylvania fire danger level today is posted, county by county, on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) interactive fire danger map on the DCNR wildfire page. The Bureau of Forestry updates the map during the spring and fall fire seasons and assigns each county a color from green (Low) to red (Extreme).1Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Wildfire That color tells you how easily a fire will start in your area, how fast it will spread, and how hard it will be to stop.
Where to Check the Rating for Your County
The DCNR map is the working assessment state foresters and emergency responders use, not a simplified public version.1Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Wildfire Pull it up, find your county, and read the color.
Pair that with the National Weather Service Fire Weather forecast for your area. The NWS looks 48 hours ahead at how wind, humidity, and temperature will shift fire behavior. When conditions turn especially dangerous, the NWS issues a Fire Weather Watch as an early alert and a Red Flag Warning when extreme burning conditions are imminent or already occurring.2National Weather Service. Glossary – Red Flag Warning The DCNR map tells you where things stand now; the NWS tells you where they’re going.
What Each Color Means
Pennsylvania uses the same five-level system as wildfire agencies across the country.3Wildfire.gov. Adjective Fire Danger Ratings
- Low (Green): Fuels are moist. Fires are unlikely to start from small sources, and any that do creep slowly and stay easy to control. This is the safest window for outdoor burning where it’s otherwise permitted.
- Moderate (Blue): Fires can start from most accidental causes, but ignitions remain uncommon. Grass fires may move briskly on a windy day. If you burn, keep it to early morning or late evening and skip windy conditions.
- High (Yellow): All fine dead fuels ignite readily. Unattended campfires and brush fires are likely to escape, and fires spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is strongly discouraged.
- Very High (Orange): Fires start easily from any cause and spread with increasing intensity. Spot fires from wind-carried embers become a constant threat. Do not burn outdoors.
- Extreme (Red): Fires start quickly, spread furiously, and burn intensely. Every ignition can become a large wildfire. Direct attack is rarely possible and can be dangerous. Do not burn outdoors.
The step from High to Very High is where the situation changes in kind, not just degree. At High, an early, aggressive response can still contain a fire. At Very High and above, even a small fire can develop behavior that overwhelms the first crews on scene.
Why the Rating Moves
Foresters watch fine fuel moisture more closely than almost anything else. Fine fuels are dead grass, fallen leaves, and small twigs, and they dry within hours of direct sun.4National Park Service. Understanding Fire Danger Once dry, they light from almost anything: a cigarette, a spark off equipment, a hot muffler over grass.
Relative humidity works alongside fuel moisture. Dry air actively pulls water out of vegetation, so as humidity falls, ignitions become easier and fires burn hotter. U.S. Forest Service research has found that spotfire probability climbs sharply below 40 percent relative humidity and becomes nearly certain below 25 percent. Wind then decides how fast the fire moves, feeding oxygen to the flames and driving heat into unburned fuel ahead of the line.
Deeper drought matters too. The Keetch-Byram Drought Index tracks moisture loss in soil and organic ground material, and it only drops meaningfully when rainfall exceeds 0.20 inches.5Wildland Fire Assessment System. Keetch-Byram Drought Index A single storm can green up the surface while the duff underneath stays bone-dry, which is why the map’s rating can stay elevated after rain that felt significant.
Pennsylvania’s worst fire window runs March through May. Last year’s dead grass, leaves, and undergrowth sit exposed to sun and wind while new growth hasn’t yet emerged. Until that “green-up,” the landscape is essentially a continuous layer of dry fuel, and long daylight, warm temperatures, and gusty spring winds do the rest. A smaller but real risk period returns in October and November as leaves fall and cure.
When Burning Is Illegal Regardless of the Color
Even on a Low day, Pennsylvania restricts open burning near woodlands, and additional rules apply on state forest land. Between March 1 and May 25, fires in fire rings and fireplaces on state forest land are prohibited entirely, and those rules tighten further when fire danger rises above a set level.6Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Burn Bans
Many townships and boroughs also have year-round burning ordinances of their own. Local rules often dictate what materials you can burn, how far from structures a fire must be, the maximum size of a fire pit, and whether you have to notify local authorities first. Fines can reach $1,000 or more, whether or not a county burn ban is in place. Call your municipal office before any outdoor fire; the most restrictive rule that applies to your property is the one that governs.
When conditions stay elevated, counties can impose a temporary burn ban under Act 52 of 1995.7Pennsylvania General Assembly. Act No. 52 of 1995 A ban lasts up to 30 days and can be extended another 30 days if conditions haven’t improved.6Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Burn Bans Notice generally goes out through local news and county websites. If you’re not sure whether your county is currently under a ban, the DCNR burn ban page keeps an active list.
What It Costs If a Fire Escapes
Violating a county burn ban is a summary offense, with fines set by county ordinance. From there, Pennsylvania’s criminal code grades fire offenses by the harm caused. Intentionally or recklessly starting a fire that endangers a person or another’s property is a summary offense even if nothing burns. Starting a fire that recklessly places an unoccupied structure or personal property worth more than $5,000 at risk is a third-degree felony. Setting fire to destroy an unoccupied building is a second-degree felony; doing so in a way that recklessly endangers human life is a first-degree felony, and if someone dies, the charge escalates to murder in the second degree.8Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 18 – Section 3301 Arson and Related Offenses
A contained debris fire that violates a ban sits at the summary end. The same fire, once it reaches a neighbor’s shed, crosses into felony territory. Prosecutors don’t need to prove you intended to burn the shed, only that you intentionally started the original fire and were reckless about the risk.
The financial exposure runs past the criminal case. Pennsylvania can bill you for the full cost of suppressing a wildfire you caused, and if you don’t pay within 30 days the Commonwealth can sue to recover the expenses. Private parties can sue too. Pennsylvania follows modified comparative negligence, so a plaintiff can recover as long as their own fault doesn’t exceed the defendant’s, with any award reduced by the plaintiff’s share of fault.9Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 42 – Section 7102 Comparative Negligence The statute of limitations for a personal injury or property damage claim is two years from the date of the injury.10Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 42 – Section 5524 Two Year Limitation
Homeowner’s insurance is a separate risk. Insurers routinely investigate whether a policyholder followed fire safety rules before a loss, and damage caused by burning during a ban or in violation of local ordinances can be treated as negligence and lead to a reduced or denied claim.
What to Do When the Rating Is High or Worse
If your county shows High, Very High, or Extreme, treat any outdoor spark as a real liability that day. Postpone yard debris burning. Move grills away from structures and dry vegetation. If you’re running a chainsaw, mower, or welder outdoors, keep a charged water source within arm’s reach. Chains dragging on pavement, a hot catalytic converter parked over dry grass, and mower blades striking rocks have all started Pennsylvania wildfires.
If you see a wildfire or an unattended fire, call 911 right away. On state forest land you can also reach the nearest DCNR district office. Early reporting is the single biggest factor in keeping a small fire small, and at Extreme levels, a few minutes of uncontrolled burning can put a fire beyond what the first crews can handle.