Southwest Utah and northern Arizona to implement fire restrictions

ST. GEORGE, Utah - Due to rapidly increasing fire danger, interagency fire managers are implementing Stage 1 Fire Restrictions beginning June 1 at 12:01 a.m. on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Park Service (NPS) managed, unincorporated Private, and State lands in Washington, Kane and Garfield counties (excluding lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Dixie and Fishlake National Forests in these counties), all Arizona State Lands including Mohave and Coconino counties, north of the Grand Canyon, NPS Lands within Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and all BLM-managed public lands within the Arizona Strip District in Arizona including Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. Residents and visitors should check with respective county and municipal governments for information on fire restrictions in those jurisdictions. Please contact your local fire department or fire warden for specific private land fire restrictions. 

Please be aware that fire restrictions will be slightly different among agencies and these restrictions do not apply to incorporated cities and towns. Please check the specific fire restrictions with the respective land management agency before visiting.  

Fire managers have reported an increase in wildfire activity, which is anticipated to peak as the weather continues to get hotter and drier in the coming months. Fire restrictions help to limit activities on public lands that are known to be the most common causes of wildfires. 

Beginning Sunday, June 1, at 12:01 a.m. these activities are prohibited:   

• No campfires or open fires outside of agency improved and maintained campgrounds and homesites in southwest Utah. Running water is required on cabins or homesites on unincorporated private land. Devices fueled by liquid petroleum are allowed.  

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove fire, except within a developed recreation site, or improved site.   

• No discharging of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices outside of incorporated city limits or on public lands (city-specific restrictions may apply). Fireworks are always prohibited on all federal lands.   

• No shooting of exploding targets or tracer ammunition. 

• No cutting, grinding, or welding of metal in areas of dry vegetation. This includes acetylene torches.  

• No use of equipment without a working and properly maintained spark arrestor (if required).  

• No smoking near vegetation or outside of a developed recreation site, personal vehicle, or building.  

• No open fires of any kind are allowed in Zion National Park’s Watchman Campground (Stage 2 Fire Restrictions). 

• Campfires are allowed in improved and maintained campgrounds at Lava Point in Zion National Park.  

• Campfires are allowed at Glen Canyon in established campgrounds within established rings or below the high-water mark, only in areas completely void of vegetation.  

Fireworks and exploding targets are prohibited year-round on federally managed lands. 

Fire conditions as well as localized closures and restrictions are subject to change. Tribal, federal, state, and local mandates are different, they may have some differences in their restriction notices. Variations are possible, and visitors should check with the most local office for area-specific restrictions and regulations. 

Violation of restrictions is punishable by fine, imprisonment or both. Violators may also be held personally responsible for reimbursement of fire suppression costs. 

To further help to prevent wildfires, never throw cigarettes out of a vehicle window. Use an ashtray instead. Never park a vehicle over dry grass as the underside of a vehicle can get hot enough to ignite the vegetation. Make sure your vehicle is in good operating condition, tires are well inflated, and check for any dragging metal or chains from towed trailers.  

Local, state, and federal fire officials urge the public to use their ‘Fire Sense’ to help prevent unwanted wildfires. ‘Fire Sense’ is an interagency fire awareness campaign that was implemented in 2021 to increase public knowledge on how to prevent wildland fires. For more information on preventing unwanted human caused wildfires, agency-specific restrictions, and reference maps, visit Utah Fire Sense, Utah Fire Info and Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention and Information, or follow us on Twitter, @UtahWildfire.  

For information on wildland fire activity, go to Inciweb.

For alerts and fire restriction information on the Dixie National Forest, visit the forest's alert webpage.