YAKIMA, Wash. -- Campfires in nearby national forests will be allowed over Labor Day weekend.

The U.S. Forest Service has lifted campfire restrictions in the Cle Elum and Naches ranger districts in the southern part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.

Recent cooler weather, some rain and normal seasonal changes in the Cascade Mountains have reduced fire danger, the Forest Service announced in a news release.

Even with the weather changes, however, the fire threat remains high, said Doug Jenkins, public information officer for the Naches Ranger District.

"Fuels are still ripe and tender for a fire," he said Friday. "But when the humidity goes up, the likelihood of a major wildland fire is diminished."

Cooler temperatures are forecast for this weekend, the last holiday weekend of the summer.

Forest Service officials are reminding campers to build campfires only in fire pits and to make sure they are completely extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving them unattended, the release said.

-- Yakima Herald-Republic staff