PHOENIX — Multiple Valley fire bans are going into effect around the Valley as both temperatures and fire danger increase.
Starting Sunday, May 1, the Phoenix and Maricopa County parks and recreation departments are putting their annual open fire bans into effect. They are put in place "due to the extreme fire danger that the combination of low humidity, increased temperatures, excessive dry vegetation, and frequent high winds creates each spring," the Phoenix parks department says.
What the ban includes:
- No open fires in the Phoenix's desert parks and mountain preserves (including Camelback Mountain, Deem Hills Recreation Area, Lookout Mountain, Papago Park, Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area, Phoenix Mountains Preserve, Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, North Mountain Park, Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area, and South Mountain Park/Preserve). The ban does not apply to Phoenix's flatland parks.
- No open wood, charcoal fires or fire pits
- No smoking outside enclosed vehicles (prohibited year-round). Please use extra care with smoking materials and only dispose of them in your vehicle's ashtray.
- No fireworks (prohibited year-round)
- No campfires along Lake Pleasant shoreline
What is allowed:
- Propane and gas grills may be used, ONLY in established picnic areas
The ban is in effect through September 30, Maricopa County's department says, though it may be extended. Additional temporary fire bans may be put in place during Red Flag Warnings and other conditions leading to extreme fire danger.
