By admin 
TONTO NATIONAL FOREST, AZ (AZFamily) — Ahead of the Fourth of July holiday and with several fires burning across the state, Arizona wildland officials are strengthening safety measures.
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The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) said that starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, stage 2 fire restrictions will be in place on State Trust lands in Coconino, Gila, Maricopa and Pinal counties.
Tonto National Forest also announced it would implement stage 2 fire restrictions and emergency recreational shooting restrictions across the entire forest starting Tuesday.
The newly announced moves mirror actions taken by other forest officials across Arizona to cut back on wildfire risk.
As of Monday, the Sycamore Fire is burning 11,939 acres in the Tonto National Forest, with two other major wildfires burning elsewhere in the state. DFFM said firefighters responded to 40 new wildfires over the weekend.
Actions prohibited under stage 2 restrictions:
- Fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves
- Smoking (except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or developed recreation site)
- Possessing, discharging, or using any type of firework or pyrotechnic device. Fireworks are always prohibited on national forests.
- Operating a chainsaw or any other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine from the hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Welding or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame
- Operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark-arresting device properly installed, maintained and in effective working order. (This does not include motor vehicles; it is aimed at equipment such as landscaping tools.)
- Discharging firearms, air rifles, or gas guns (except while engaged in a lawful hunt pursuant to state, federal or tribal laws and regulations)
Anyone who violates these fire restrictions could face a fine of up to $5,000 and six months in prison.
Forest officials advised drivers to make sure vehicles are properly maintained to lessen the chances of having to pull off the road because of vehicle issues.
Motorized vehicles will also be prohibited on certain roads in the Flagstaff Ranger District, though people can still hike and bike the forest on these roads.
With people being the main cause of wildfires, this is one of the most effective measures to preventing fires, according to True Brown, the fire chief of Coconino National Forest.
“Most human-caused fire starts occur really 300 to 500 feet from a roadway,” Brown said.
Setting up a motorized-vehicle restricted area last year reduced fire starts by more than 600%, according to Brown.
“Those are some pretty significant numbers that help validate that decision-making,” he said.
The following areas will be under stage 2 restrictions Tuesday:
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Tonto National Forest
- State Trust lands in Coconino, Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, Apache, La Paz, Navajo and Yuma counties
- Bureau of Land Management property
- Navajo County
- Apache County
- City of Show Low
- Town of Pinetop-Lakeside
Health expert advises staying indoors
Air quality is considered unhealthy for much of Coconino County that even a mask can’t protect against all the particles, according to Michele Axlund, the county’s director of health and human services.
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“When you hear smoke particles, you think, ‘Oh, I’ll just put an N95 mask on,’” Axlund said.
But those particles are smaller than a stand of human hair, Axlund said.
“So we’re really talking about this finite dust that bypasses a lot of our body’s normal filtration systems, and it gets into our lungs and straight to our bloodstream,” she said.
She said everyone should stay indoors as much as possible to avoid the smoke – but especially vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, or those who have an underlying health or respiratory condition.
On high alert for the holiday
Even though Arizona is at high risk of wildfires heading into the Fourth of July, Gov. Katie Hobbs said last week that a statewide fireworks ban is not being considered.
Facing a similar fire weather watch, Utah took a different approach. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox banned fireworks statewide, with exceptions for cities that designate specific areas for their use.
“Fireworks are inherently dangerous. They’re inherently unpredictable. That’s just part of how fireworks work,” Cox said.
Hobbs acknowledged the severity of the current wildfire season but pointed to existing legislation as the framework in place.
For the Fourth of July, Phoenix will narrow where fireworks can legally be used, banning them on city property, parks and near mountain preserves. An interactive map on the city’s website allows residents to enter an address to see whether it falls inside a restricted zone.
Violations of the city’s fireworks restrictions are already class 1 misdemeanors under city code, but the proposed changes would allow civil penalties of up to $2,500.
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