Stage 1 fire and smoking restrictions will be in effect beginning at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 29, across the entirety of the Coconino National Forest and the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.
The Coconino County Board of Supervisors and county manager’s office have directed emergency management to do likewise in all unincorporated areas of the county. The city of Flagstaff plans to implement fire restrictions as well.
Under Forest Service Stage 1 restrictions, fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are prohibited, except within a developed recreation site. Smoking is also prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle, building or a developed recreation site. Fireworks are always prohibited on all national forest and state lands.
Under Coconino County’s Stage 1 restrictions, the use of tracer rounds of ammunition or explosive targets is also strictly prohibited.
Recreational shooting in the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests is allowed as long as it follows the target shooting regulations available at fs.usda.gov/activity/coconino/recreation/otheractivities/?recid54884&actid106.
Using a device that is solely fueled by pressurized liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off is allowed in areas that are barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within three feet of the device.
Fire restrictions are implemented to help prevent human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of visitors during periods of potentially dangerous fire conditions. Decisions about fire restrictions are based on a combination of carefully measured factors. Criteria used to determine when to implement restrictions include current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels, enduring drought and available firefighting resources.
Additional restrictions could be forthcoming if conditions warrant. Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the area receives significant, widespread precipitation.
The public is reminded to be cautious when recreating on public lands, regardless of the restrictions in effect. Even when forest-wide restrictions aren’t in place, there are places in the Coconino National Forest that have fire restrictions year-round, such as the Flagstaff, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon and West Sedona areas, as well as Pumphouse Wash.
Violations could result in a mandatory appearance in a federal court, fines or jail time.
Information on Coconino County’s Stage 1, 2 and 3 fire restrictions is available at coconino.az.gov/2595/Fire-Restriction-Information.
Information about all Arizona state and federal fire restrictions, including an interactive map, can be found at wildlandfire.az.gov/fire-restrictions. Additional information about the stages of fire restrictions, forest orders and general forest conditions are available for the Kaibab National Forest at fs.usda.gov/kaibab and the Coconino National Forest at fs.usda.gov/coconino.
