Maricopa County parks to begin annual fire ban Tuesday
May 26, 2015, 6:30 AM | Updated: 6:30 am
PHOENIX — A fire ban goes into effect Tuesday for many Phoenix-area parks, despite a wetter and cooler than normal May.
The fire ban includes the use of campfires, fire pits and charcoal grills, but campers can use gas and propane grills in designated areas such as underneath ramadas, in semi-developed and developed camping sites and along the shoreline at Lake Pleasant Regional Park.
Dawna Taylor, a representative with the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department, said the fire ban is geared toward limiting the possibility of starting a brush fire, which could cause serious damage to the parks.
“It’s put in place to protect our visitors and natural resources in the parks,” she said. “The brush is really dry and, if you have an open campfire, you could have an ember that floats off and hits the brush and ignites a fire.
The fire ban has been planned to be lifted on Labor Day, but that date will be determined by the amount of rain the county receives during monsoon season.
The following parks will be affected by the fire ban:
- • Lake Pleasant Regional Park
- • White Tank Mountain Regional Park
- • Adobe Dam Regional Park
- • Buckeye Hills Regional Park
- • Estrella Mountain Regional Park (excludes turf area)
- • San Tan Mountain Regional Park
- • Usery Mountain Regional Park
- • McDowell Mountain Regional Park
- • Cave Creek Regional Park
- • Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area