50K acres burned by human-caused fires, 'excessive' abandoned campfires alarm AZ officials

Jose R. Gonzalez, Arizona Republic
·2 min read
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Amid an increase in wildfires this season, Arizona fire officials are alarmed by a spate of improperly extinguished campfires in areas where such activities are currently restricted.

Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management spokeswoman Tiffany Davila told The Arizona Republic that department patrol personnel found remnants of 10 abandoned campfires on Thursday off the roadway in an undeveloped campsite on Pinal County land east of Apache Junction.

Ten improperly extinguished campfires "in one specific area, seems kind of excessive and ridiculous. It's obviously a safety issue," Davila said.

Due to hot and dry conditions increasing the risk of human-caused wildfires, campfires outside of developed campsites or picnic areas are currently prohibited on state trust land in Pinal County, which remains under Stage 1 fire restrictions. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management expanded these restrictions to seven additional counties on June 5. Previously, Gila and Maricopa counties were already under these fire restrictions.

Across state, federal and tribal land jurisdictions, more than 50,000 acres have burned between Jan. 1 and Friday due to human-caused fires, according to data from the forestry department. This number exceeds twice as many acres burned due to human-caused fires — a little more than 16,000 — as of Jan. 1-June 21, 2023, according to department figures.

Davila said those looking to maintain a campfire should first know they are on land where they can do so.

She explained that when putting out a campfire, campers should douse it thoroughly with water or dirt, using a shovel or another tool to stir and repeat the process until there are no longer any smoldering remnants or embers that could ignite a fire.

"They need to make sure it's out completely and cool to the touch," Davila said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Excessive' abandoned campfires alarm Arizona fire officials