As wildfires increase this season, Arizona fire officials are growing alarmed at a spate of improperly extinguished campfires in areas where such activity is currently restricted.
Tiffany Davila, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, told The Arizona Republic that agency patrolmen found the remains of 10 abandoned campfires on the side of the road Thursday in an undeveloped campground in Pinal County east of Apache Junction.
“Ten campfires being improperly extinguished in one particular area seems excessive and ridiculous. It's clearly a safety issue,” Davila said.
Due to hot, dry weather increasing the risk of human-caused wildfires, campfires are now prohibited on state trust lands in Pinal County except in developed campgrounds and picnic areas, and the county is under Stage 1 fire restrictions. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management expanded the restrictions to seven more counties on June 5. Previously, Gila and Maricopa counties were already under the fire restrictions.
More than 50,000 acres burned due to human-caused fires between Jan. 1 and Friday across state, federal and tribal land jurisdictions, according to Forest Service data. That's more than double the number of acres burned by human-caused fires between Jan. 1 and June 21 of 2023, or a little more than 16,000 acres, according to the service's figures.
Davila said people who want to keep their campfires going should first know they are on land where it is possible to do so.
She explained that when putting out a campfire, people should pour lots of water and soil over it, stir it up with a shovel or other tool, and repeat the process until there are no smoldering embers or embers that could start a fire.
“You need to make sure it's completely out and that it's cool to the touch,” Davila said.
