USFS, fire agencies, municipalities impose restrictions to reduce wildfire risk
Local fire agencies and municipalities and the U.S. Forest Service imposed Stage 1 Fire Restrictions on the morning of May 21, and the rules are anticipated to remain in place for the foreseeable future because of the persistent dry conditions, according to officials.
“We just want people to be smart, and we want them to enjoy the forest, but also be smart when they’re out enjoying the forest, so it doesn’t get shut down, and we can still enjoy it all summer long,” said Danny Johnson, fire chief of both the Copper Canyon Fire & Medical Authority and Verde Valley Fire District.
What is Prohibited:
▪ No building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire except in Forest Service developed recreation sites — not including dispersed camping areas.
▪ No smoking except in an enclosed vehicle or building on Forest Service lands, or in specific developed recreation sites.
▪ No explosive targets, tracer rounds or incendiary ammunition.
What is Allowed:
▪ Petroleum-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices providing such devices meet specifications for safety.
▪ Commercially manufactured charcoal grills or wood smokers on private property as long as a tight-fitting lid is in place during use and sparks and fire brands are contained. Devices fueled solely by liquid petroleum, LPG or LNG are always allowed so long as the flame may be immediately extinguished without residual combustion.
▪ Shooting firearms is allowed. No shooting within 150 yards of a campsite, developed recreation site or occupied area, residence or building. No shooting across a road, trail or body of water, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage. No shooting in a cave.
▪ Fire restrictions can vary from forest to forest, and can differ from local, county and state fire restrictions. Recreators are responsible for knowing the jurisdiction they are on.
“What I’ve seen in the past is when it comes to construction — with cutting and grinding on job sites and fences — to have a spotter and keep an eye on what you’re doing,” SFD Deputy Fire Marshal Kirk Riddell said. “That’s how these grass fires start: They’re grinding and throwing sparks and they don’t realize it till it’s too late. Have a fire extinguisher, a garden hose and a water source on hand, and do a fire watch 30 minutes after you grind, cut or weld outdoors.”
State and National Parks in the Verde Valley and the Yavapai-Apache Nation are not under fire restrictions as of Monday, June 1.
“The Cottonwood Parks & Recreation Department would like to remind the community that the public grills at the city of Cottonwood parks will be closed off and unavailable for use,” the city of Cottonwood announced. “Individuals may not bring their personal grills to the parks. Propane is still permitted under Stage 1.”
Weather
While Sedona had 1.74 inches of rain on May 26, that is not enough to go out of the fire restrictions, because Sedona has only had 4.12 inches of precipitation in 2026, about half of the average year-to-date precipitation of 8.54 inches.
“One day of rain isn’t going to do it,” Riddell said. “The winds are back up again, things are drying back out again. It’s going to take a good monsoon season to probably get us back out of stages. That’s typically how that goes. They’re saying that possibly this could be an El Niño year, which might mean a good monsoon. But we’ll see.”
The National Weather Service issued its three-month precipitation outlook on May 21, and it predicts that Sedona and the Verde Valley have between a 33% to 40% chance of above-normal precipitation, with a zone of higher probability of between 40% to 50% centered on the Four Corners region.
“Sedona, like the rest of the areas, has a lot of urban interface properties,” Johnson said. “That’s the one amazing thing about living in this area, there’s beautiful trees and beautiful vegetation, but it burns, so we try to follow what the Forest Service says and look at their fuel models, and then base our restrictions on those.”
Arizona is experiencing widespread drought conditions, with 96% of the state affected by some level of dryness, according to the May 26 federal Drought Monitor Report.
“The monsoons always come with a few dry lightning strikes, and it’s kind of a double-edged sword,” Johnson said. “We need the moisture, but sometimes the dry lightning causes us issues, so it’s hard to tell when Stage 2 is coming.”
Visit YavapaiReady.gov/FireBan or SedonaFire.org/firerestrictions for more information. Questions about Stage 1 Fire Restrictions can be directed to SFD at 928-204-8926, or the U.S. Forest Service Fire Restrictions Hotline at 928-226-4607.
