ST. GEORGE – Due to prolonged high fire danger in Utah and northwest Arizona, Color Country Interagency Fire Managers are implementing additional fire restrictions on all public lands and unincorporated state and private lands in Washington, Iron, Beaver, Kane, Garfield, Wayne, Piute, Sevier, and Sanpete Counties, and all Bureau of Land Management administered public lands within the Arizona Strip District in Coconino and Mohave Counties in Arizona.  This includes the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and excludes the Fishlake National Forest.  The Fishlake National Forest remains in Stage I Restrictions.

Restrictions also include all Bureau of Indian Affairs administered trust lands on the Shivwits Band, Cedar Band, Indian Peaks Band, and Kaibab Band Reservations, Pipe Spring National Monument, and all other Forest Service administered lands beginning Tuesday, July 10 at 00:01 a.m.

In the Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area, below the high water mark, in areas devoid of vegetation, campfires are still permitted.

These restrictions do not apply to incorporated towns and cities.  However, towns and cities may impose their own restriction orders. Please contact your city fire department for more information.

The following acts will be prohibited until further notice:

1.         Setting, building, maintaining, attending, or using open fire of any kind (including charcoal) except as otherwise authorized.  This includes all fires in developed areas and previously approved sites.  Devices fueled by petroleum or liquid propane gas (LPG) products are allowed in all locations.

2.         Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, camp trailer, or building, or while stopped in an area at least six feet in diameter that is barren or cleared to mineral soil.

3.         Discharging, or using any kind of fireworks, tracer ammunition, or other incendiary devices in any location on federal lands.

4.         Operating a motorcycle, chainsaw, ATV, or other types of small engines without an approved and working spark arrester.

5.         The cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation on federal lands within Washington County, Utah and outside of an enclosed building on the Arizona Strip.

The following acts will be prohibited only in all unincorporated private and state lands within Utah:

6.         The cutting, welding or grinding of metal in areas of dry vegetation.

7.         The use of any steel jacketed or steel core ammunition of any caliber.

8.         The use of exploding targets detonated with a bullet from a firearm.

The following acts will be prohibited only on Forest Service System lands of all ranger districts within the Dixie National Forest:

9.         Operating motorized vehicles off of designated roads and trails.

10.       Operating a chainsaw or other motorized equipment powered by an internal combustion engine with an approved spark arrester, other than motorized vehicles, between 2:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M.

11.       Blasting, welding, or other activities that generate open flame between 2:00 P.M. and 2:00 A.M.

12.       Leaving the immediate area or failing to patrol less than one hour after operating a chainsaw or other motorized equipment powered by an internal combustion engine, blasting, welding, or using equipment that generates open flame.

 

Again, these restrictions do not apply to incorporated town and cities.

All other fire restrictions or necessary exemptions to the restrictions will be handled through local “permits” issued by the responsible agency for that purpose.

For more information on fires in Utah visit www.utahfireinfo.gov.

For more information on fires across the country, visit www.inciweb.org.