BLM issues fire restrictions for northern Arizona
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Due to rapidly increasing fire danger, the Bureau of Land Management is implementing Stage 1 Fire Restrictions beginning May 22 at 12:01 a.m. on all BLM-managed public lands within the Arizona Strip District in Arizona, including Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. Fire restrictions apply on all lands within the Arizona Strip District in northern Arizona.
From May 22, 2026, until rescinded, the fire prevention order prohibits:
- Building or maintaining any open fire or campfires using solid fuels, or any ash-producing fuel.
- Smoking, except within a vehicle or enclosed area.
- Grinding, cutting, and welding of metal.
- Operating or using any internal combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed and in effective working order.
The BLM asks target shooters to know their ammunition before visiting public lands. Ammunition packaging may not indicate the presence of steel in the bullet, especially in military surplus and foreign-made ammunition. To determine whether a bullet contains steel, test with a magnet. Orange or red painted tips may indicate tracer ammunition which can ignite flammable substances, such as dry grass, upon contact.
BLM Arizona statewide fire prevention orders prohibit fireworks, explosives of any kind, and tracer and incendiary ammunition year-round.
To prevent a wildfire, the public should:
- Follow fire restrictions and check for area-specific rules.
- Avoid target shooting in hot, dry and windy conditions
- Choose a target shooting backstop free of rocks and dry grass – any bullet hitting rocks can create a spark
- Keep trailer chains lifted above the ground – dragging chains can create sparks
- Avoid parking a hot vehicle over dry grass
- Maintain tires, wheels and bearing on trailers to prevent mechanical failure
- Check off-highway vehicle exhaust system yearly to ensure the spark arrester is mounted securely and is qualified
- Fully extinguish and properly dispose of cigarettes
BLM prevention orders can be viewed online at wildlandfire.az.gov, utahfireinfo.gov, and on signs where BLM-managed lands are accessed. The public is reminded to use caution to prevent wildfires when visiting public lands. Please be prepared with water, a shovel and a fire extinguisher handy during the dry summer months. In the event of a fire, call 911 immediately.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.