Fire Restrictions Imposed for Maricopa County State Lands starting Friday

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management in partnership with the United States Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix and Colorado River Districts, the Prescott and Tonto National Forests, and the Tonto National Monument will impose Stage I Fire Restrictions across the central and northern portions of Arizona starting Friday, May 14th, 2021.

“As warmer temperatures settle in and dry conditions persist, Arizona’s fire activity and amount of human-caused starts continue to increase daily,” said Tiffany Davila, a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management in a press release.

Starting Friday, May 14th, 2021, at 8 AM, Stage I Fire Restrictions go into effect on state-owned and managed lands within Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma Counties, along with Coconino County, south of the Colorado River.

“Our number one goal is to provide for the safety of the public and our firefighters. We ask that residents and visitors please abide by these restrictions as we enter into our most active period for wildfires,” said John Truett, a Fire Management Officer with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management

These new restrictions apply to any state-owned or state-managed lands within Gila, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma Counties including:

• All-State Trust lands outside incorporated municipalities;
• All Game and Fish Commission Wildlife areas and department properties outside incorporated municipalities;
• All-State Parks outside incorporated municipalities – State Parks will remain open with fire restrictions in place;
• All Department of Transportation highway, right-of-way property outside incorporated municipalities, not owned by federal land management agencies.

Restrictions include:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove, other than in a developed campsite or picnic area is prohibited. Exemptions include a device solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device;
• Smoking is prohibited unless it is within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site/improved site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barred or cleared of all flammable materials;
• Fireworks or other incendiary device are prohibited;
• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch devices with an open flame is prohibited.

Restrictions go into effect at 8 AM on Friday, May 14, 2021, and will continue until rescinded. For more information including all statewide fire restriction information, visit Wildland Fire’s website.

Subscribe to Emergency Text Alerts from Wittmann, AZ Emergency Alerts now by clicking here.