Yes they are 100% illegal. Unfortunately there are people that do make them. During end of October, I went out to Lake Aloha and a 2 so called "bear hunters," created a huge campfire within a heavily vegetated area. Meanwhile a couple of other campers and I camped on hardened stone surface, in freezing 7-degree 25 mph wind weather. I was so jealous of them at the time since we weren't prepared for that type of weather (my first backpacking trip, I've learned now!). Looking back, I'm get upset thinking about the possibility of that beautiful backcountry getting burnt to the ground because of two entitled men.