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Fire Restrictions To Begin on Four National Forests and City of Flagstaff

Patrick Poendl/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Fire restrictions begin Wednesday at four national forests around Arizona.

Campfire and smoking restrictions will be enforced on the Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are allowed under the restrictions only in developed campgrounds managed by concessionaires or have campground hosts.

The restrictions also limit smoking to within enclosed vehicles or buildings or in developed campgrounds.

The forests use fire restrictions to help prevent human-caused fires and to limit the exposure of users during periods of dangerous fire conditions.

Fire restrictions typically remain in effect until the forests receive significant precipitation.

Authorities say Arizona's extreme heat and a dry winter mean there's a high risk of wildfires. Summer has typically been considered wildfire season but experts now say blazes can happen year-round.

The City of Flagstaff will also put a stage 1 fire restriction into place beginning Wed, June 15 at 8 a.m. It bans all fire pits and other open-flame devices, even those with a spark arrestor, on both public and private property. The use of charcoal and wood-fueled grills is prohibited in city parks like Thorpe, McPhearson, McMillan, and Buffalo parks. The restrictions also ban smoking on the Flagstaff Urban Trail System and all disc golf courses in city parks.

The Flagstaff Police Department will expand patrols throughout the community to enforce the fire restriction.

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