Fire restrictions are not yet in effect, but Navajo County residents and visitors are already being asked to use caution when traveling off-road, building a campfire or using any sort of open flame.
“There’s been no snow, and so the grass is standing up instead of laying down, and that allows it to catch and burn faster,” Navajo County Emergency Management Coordinator Catrina Roe said.
She noted that there have already been numerous human-caused fires over the last few weeks, including a series of 17 small fires believed to have been caused by a vehicle dragging a chain over a dry grassy area. “They’re not major, but they do use our resources,” she said.
County and forest officials are asking everyone to be cautious, including in areas where there may be few trees, but a lot of grass.
Conditions are already dry due to a lack of snowpack and spring runoff. Typical windy spring weather is likely to reduce any remaining moisture, and Roe noted that the region is experiencing unusually high temperatures.
“The next few weeks the forecast is dry and with potential record-high temperatures,” she remarked. “We are on the brink of fire season.”
In addition to practicing good fire-safety habits such as never leaving an open flame unattended, and ensuring any camp or cooking fire is completely out, residents are also being asked to avoid lesser-known wildfire hazards. These include driving off of marked routes, parking on dry grassy areas, using chainsaws or other equipment without spark arrestors, or dragging chains when towing trailers.
Roe noted that the fire restrictions group, which includes county, city, state and federal officials, has started meeting and will be closely monitoring conditions to determine when fire restrictions will be put in place. The group coordinates restrictions so that they are as consistent as possible across the entire county. For example, Navajo County will begin restrictions at the same time as the Forest Service so that there is no confusion among campers regarding where fires are allowed.
The first stage of restrictions, which are not yet in effect, include five specifically prohibited acts, including the building of campfires, unless the campfire is “in an area that is designated for that purpose, and is barren or cleared of all debris;” smoking outside of an enclosed vehicle or building; use of any fireworks; use of explosive targets; and use of tracer round ammunition. Devices fueled by petroleum or propane, such as gas grills, are allowed as long as the device is used in an area that has been cleared of flammable materials. Such restrictions are typically the first step in a fire ordinance that includes increasingly restrictive provisions as conditions worsen over the course of the summer.
Representatives of the fire restrictions group will make recommendations to their respective governing boards, including the Navajo County Board of Supervisors, regarding what type of restrictions should be put in place and when they should take effect. It is then up to the boards to enact the restrictions.
