Wardens — Appointment — Duties.
RCW 76.04.035
in effect(1) The department may appoint any of its employees as wardens, at the times and localities as it considers the public welfare demands, within any area of the state where there is forestland requiring protection. (2) The duties of wardens shall be: (a) To provide forest fire prevention and protection information to the public; (b) To investigate discovered or reported fires on forestlands and take appropriate action; (c) To patrol their areas as necessary; (d) To visit all parts of their area, and frequented places and camps as far as possible, and warn campers or other users and visitors of fire hazards; (e) To see that all locomotives and all steam, internal combustion, and other spark-emitting equipment are provided with spark arresters and adequate devices for preventing the escape of fire or sparks in accordance with the law; (f) To see that operations or activities on forestland have all required fire prevention and suppression equipment or devices as required by law; (g) To extinguish wildfires; (h) To set back-fires to control fires; (i) To summons, impress, and employ help in controlling wildfires; (j) To see that all laws for the protection of forests are enforced; (k) To investigate, arrest, and initiate prosecution of all offenders of this chapter or other chapters as allowed by law; and (l) To perform all other duties as prescribed by law and as the department directs. (3) All wardens and rangers shall render reports to the department on blanks or forms, or in the manner and at the times as may be ordered, giving a summary of how employed, the area visited, expenses incurred, and other information as required by the department. (4) The department may suspend the authority of any warden who may be incompetent or unwilling to discharge properly the duties of the office. (5) The department shall determine the placement of the wardens and, upon its request to the county commissioners of any county, the county commissioners shall designate and furnish the wardens with suitably equipped office quarters in the county courthouse. (6) The authority of the wardens regarding the prevention, suppression, and control of forest fires, summoning, impressing, or employing help, or making arrests for violations of this chapter may extend to any part of the state.
(1) The department may appoint any of its employees as wardens, at the times and localities as it considers the public welfare demands, within any area of the state where there is forestland requiring protection.
(2) The duties of wardens shall be:
(a) To provide forest fire prevention and protection information to the public;
(b) To investigate discovered or reported fires on forestlands and take appropriate action;
(c) To patrol their areas as necessary;
(d) To visit all parts of their area, and frequented places and camps as far as possible, and warn campers or other users and visitors of fire hazards;
(e) To see that all locomotives and all steam, internal combustion, and other spark-emitting equipment are provided with spark arresters and adequate devices for preventing the escape of fire or sparks in accordance with the law;
(f) To see that operations or activities on forestland have all required fire prevention and suppression equipment or devices as required by law;
(g) To extinguish wildfires;
(h) To set back-fires to control fires;
(i) To summons, impress, and employ help in controlling wildfires;
(j) To see that all laws for the protection of forests are enforced;
(k) To investigate, arrest, and initiate prosecution of all offenders of this chapter or other chapters as allowed by law; and
(l) To perform all other duties as prescribed by law and as the department directs.
(3) All wardens and rangers shall render reports to the department on blanks or forms, or in the manner and at the times as may be ordered, giving a summary of how employed, the area visited, expenses incurred, and other information as required by the department.
(4) The department may suspend the authority of any warden who may be incompetent or unwilling to discharge properly the duties of the office.
(5) The department shall determine the placement of the wardens and, upon its request to the county commissioners of any county, the county commissioners shall designate and furnish the wardens with suitably equipped office quarters in the county courthouse.
(6) The authority of the wardens regarding the prevention, suppression, and control of forest fires, summoning, impressing, or employing help, or making arrests for violations of this chapter may extend to any part of the state.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=76.04&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026