Fire crews with the Coconino National Forest had a busy Memorial Day Weekend as they responded to 143 abandoned campfires. They also worked to extinguish other small human-caused blazes.
“Our fire prevention folks were out in full force, full staff over Memorial Day Weekend,” says Coconino National Forest spokesman George Jozens. “All I know is when people are coming to visit the forest, they really need to be responsible with their campfires.”
Jozens says one out-of-control campfire turned into a small wildfire, and another fire was caused by someone shooting a gun. Crews contained both blazes to less than two acres.
According the Coconino National Forest, over the 2015 Memorial Day Weekend 62 abandoned campfires were discovered. In 2014, fire restrictions were in place during the holiday, and crews discovered 34 illegal campfires.
Jozens says campers should always completely drown campfires with water and then stir the coals until they’re cool to the touch before leaving. He also says abandoned campfires are almost always found with piles of trash left by campers.
In addition to fire activity, law enforcement officers with the Coconino National Forest responded to several other incidents. Some ATV operators were stopped for not wearing proper protective gear, eye protection or helmets. Several of the vehicles also did not have proper registration. Officers were also called in by the U.S. Forest Service to slow traffic in wilderness areas for fire-crew safety.
