Highs are expected to soar to 113 degrees Celsius over the holidays in the Valley. Flagstaff’s highest temperatures will be in the ’80s and ’90s, and Coconino County Sheriff Jim Driscoll expects more tourists to flock to northern Arizona to beat the heat.

That’s the sheriff’s deputy’s recipe for a busy weekend.

“It’s very hot in the Valley right now, so I expect a lot of tourists this weekend. All the lakes are full now, so there’s going to be a lot of people flocking to the water,” Driscoll said. said. “The focus there is on safety. Life jackets. There are so many violations out there and so many safety concerns are constantly being raised. is.”

Boats aren’t the only motorized vehicles that can cause conflict during peak tourist seasons, as Driscoll warns that ATV users need to be extra careful.

“It’s great for certain uses, but the potential for abuse and resource damage is very high,” he says. “If you put a 12-year-old on an ATV unsupervised, you’re in trouble.”

ATV-related deaths and injuries occur every summer, Driscoll said, often coinciding with holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day.

“The best I’ve done in one summer was five” [ATV-related fatalities]said Driscoll. “Most people are good people. Most people have responsibilities, but some people leave their children alone.”

Camping, hiking, off-road vehicle use, and recreation in general have significantly increased in popularity since 2020 in Coconino County.

With the popularity of well-used trailheads and the power of GPS technology in the palm of every smartphone user’s hand, Coconino County Search and Rescue officials believe people are stepping further into the wilderness than in years past. I noticed that there is

This means search and rescue (SAR) volunteers have to carry out increasingly complex rescue operations from a tactical perspective, Driscoll said. He added that Coconino County SAR is the busiest in the state.

“Statistically, most of our searches are not for locals, and most of our rescues are not for locals. It’s like a playground for the economy, which is great for our economy, but it comes at a price,” Driscoll said. “We accept and acknowledge that. That’s why we prepare and train a lot.”

Coconino County’s SAR team has an international reputation and recently hosted the Mountain Rescue Association’s annual conference.

But before the team can contact hikers, mountain bikers, campers and climbers in trouble, they need to receive a call for help. Driscoll said cell phone reception is stable in certain areas of the county, but unstable in others.

It is very important for outdoor adventurers to have a plan to have access to cellular service in case they need to call for help.

When people flock to the woods for the 4th, they will do so under Stage 1 fire regulations. This means that all campfires, wood stoves and charcoal grills are prohibited except within developed recreational facilities. Fireworks, outdoor smoking, tracers of ammunition and explosives are also prohibited.

Driscoll said legislators will be handling everything from noise complaints to DUI calls over the holidays, but hopes for a safe and fire-free Fourth of July in much of the county. said that