Bubbling, toasted marshmallows and the stinging smell of smoking firewood define the very sensation of camping for 8-year-old Emily Ireton. What is a camping trip without s’mores, after all?

But the hot weather and dry conditions are not on Emily’s side as she camps at Fort Ebey this week.

Washington State Parks, Island County and the National Weather Service issued warnings and burn bans covering Island County.

The notices prohibit and warn against all outdoor burning, including campfires.

“I felt a little sad when they said we can’t have a campfire,” said Emily, who traveled from Seattle to camp with friends and family at the state park.

“I love s’mores and the campfire; it’s the best part of camping.”

The Commissioner of Public Lands issued a burn ban applying to state forests, state parks and forestlands last Wednesday, the first day of Emily’s trip.

Denise Kjargaard, a volunteer at Fort Ebey, said rangers and aids will monitor the 60 campsites, each with its own fire pit, at both Fort Casey and Fort Ebey state parks for any violations.

All outdoor burning, including campfires in fire pits and the use of charcoal briquettes are prohibited at all state parks. The parks ban remains in effect through Sept. 30.

Liquid or propane camp stoves that do not use solid briquettes and have on/off controls are permitted.

Island County Fire Marshal and Sheriff Mark Brown issued a total restriction on outdoor burning for all of the county this week. The total ban went into effect Thursday.

Under the ban, “no open fires, including cooking fires on both improved and unimproved lands except charcoal and gas BBQ grills are allowed on improved, non-combustible surfaces a minimum of 100 feet from natural vegetation.”

The county ban remains in effect until further notice.

Both bans follow red-flag warnings and a fire weather watch issued by the National Weather Service for Island County spanning Thursday and Friday.

Weather Service meteorologist Andy Haner said a Red Flag Warning seeks to highlight when weather could be a serious, aggravating factor that could lead to extreme fire behavior over the next 24 hours.

A fire weather watch highlights similar concerns for 24-48 hours into the future, he said.

“Before a Red Flag Warning is issued, Fire Danger already needs to be elevated, and the public should already be taking precautions with fire and flammable materials,” Haner said.

He noted that the weather pattern on Whidbey Island has shifted to allow an air mass from the interior of British Columbia to spread into Western Washington.

“In the summer, this basically means warm, dry air from the continental locations east of the Cascades has moved in,” he said.

“The hotter, drier and more unstable conditions, along with the breezy conditions that usher in such conditions, are known for aggravating existing and new fires.”

The Weather Service warnings expired at midnight Friday, but that doesn’t mean the fire danger in the area is over, Haner said. It just means that there is no longer an aggravating factor with fire behavior and public safety.

“Winds are expected to diminish later [Friday],” Haner said.

“However, fuels will still be dry, and fire danger will still be elevated, so folks should still be careful with fire and burning material after the Red Flag Warning expires.”

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Mike Brown noted that the fire danger in Island County is significant, even without the Weather Service notices.

“Hopefully the people of the community are very careful about anything they’re doing with fire until we get to a point that it cools off and we get some rain,” he said.

For now, Island County residents and visitors like Emily Ireton must go without their beloved s’mores and crackling campfires.

“It definitely changes the definition of camping for us and what we’re able to do with the kids on this trip,” said Betty Ireton, Emily’s mother.

“We can have the regular marshmallows,” 3-year-old Elizabeth Ire-ton, Emily’s sister, added.

“But it’s not the same as s’mores.”

Because, as Elizabeth and Emily put it, you just can’t make the perfect s’more without a real campfire.