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Arizona Spring Season Challenges

desert plants 2Prescott AZ (April 23, 2013) – Crazy weather; hot today, chilly tomorrow, not sure if you need a sweatshirt, t-shirt or a raincoat? This is typical spring weather for central Arizona.

The same uncertain weather can cause a variety of fire danger conditions in our central Arizona wild lands and forests. Lower elevation areas such as the Verde Valley, Skull Valley and Bumble Bee are turning green while flowers and trees are in full bloom. Higher elevation areas such as Crown King, Mingus Mountain and the Central Highlands are lagging a bit behind. Arizona winter and spring rainfall snow totals are also a mixed bag this year, with some areas above average and some areas below average. All of this is why predicting wild fire potential and determining current fire danger are a challenge.

Agency wild land fire experts, along with weather experts, monitor spring conditions carefully to help the public understand wild fire potential for a given period of time. One thing is certain, as the spring season gives way to summer, it will be hotter and dryer, and the fire dangers will increase.

Fire dangers are not uniform across the landscape, some areas, due to more or less precipitation, varying elevation and temperature will dry faster than others. This means fire dangers vary over relatively short distances and change quickly in short periods of time. Those of you who enjoy being outdoors and visit our state’s wild places have a responsibility to know what the conditions are, and what fire restrictions are in place for your favorite outdoor recreation areas.

You may be hearing the “Know Before You Go” phrase more often as temperatures warm and vegetation dries, prompting more restrictions for camp fires, smoking and perhaps even restricting access to some of your favorite areas.

To help you understand where and when fire restrictions and possible closures exist, there are several resources available that are maintained daily.

The public can obtain additional prescribed fire information via the following:

· Arizona Fire Restrictions:  http://firerestrictions.us/az/

· Prescott NF Fire Information Hotline:  (928) 777-5799

· Prescott NF Forest Website:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/prescott/

· Local Ranger Stations:

  • Bradshaw Ranger District (928) 443-8000
  • Chino Valley Ranger District (928) 777-2200
  • Verde Ranger District (928) 567-4121

 

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1 Comment

  1. Any idea of wild fires better scare the beejeezee out of you. We prefer that the national forests say no to all camp fires like the one pictured here. No boy scouts or girl scouts out there any more in the forests only illegals & pipe bombs & conspiracy mental campers. It’s scary out there. Remember that guy who took a gun and pointed it at the family of 5 hiking in Sedona last season? Mental cases do not need guns! Time to legislate.

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