In recent weeks, there have been several human-cause wildfires on the Prescott National Forest. That’s despite a fairly wet winter. KNAU’s Zac Ziegler reports officials say the early fires show why safety is important regardless of forest conditions.
The Tritle and Lynx fires were both caught early, and burned a total of about 20 acres between them.
Prescott National Forest’s Pete Gordon says it could have been much worse if the fires occurred in more remote locations, and the two human-caused fires show why people should always use caution.
“Whether it’s our worst fire season or a year like this where we’re coming off a very wet winter and now we’re having a fairly significant rain event, I think there’s just an unfortunate amount of certainty that there will always be human-caused fires.”
Fire officials say it’s important to clear the area around a campfire of flammable items, never leave a fire unattended, know conditions and fire restrictions before starting a fire and make sure a fire pit is cool to the touch before leaving it alone.
They also suggest campers not build a fire directly under tree limbs.
