Fire Restrictions

Note:  This represents the standard language for fire restrictions on the Kaibab National Forest. Actual fire restrictions could vary slightly in any given year depending on conditions. Other agencies (including states, counties, municipalities and other National Forests) also implement fire restrictions and may have differences in specific language due to local issues and concerns. Visitors should always check with the agency responsible for specific fire restrictions.

Fire restrictions on the Kaibab National Forest affect only National Forest System lands on the Kaibab National Forest. The restrictions do not apply to any non-National Forest System lands (such as private, city, county or state lands). Residents wondering whether their neighborhood or property is under any fire restrictions should check with their municipalities, fire districts or counties, depending on where they live.

For current fire restrictions refer to:

• Alerts & Notices or Forest Orders

• Southwest Interagency Fire Restrictions

Target shooting restrictions are not normally a part of Stage 1 or 2 fire restrictions on the Kaibab National Forest. Shooting restrictions are determined by each forest each year. However, when there is a Stage 3 restriction that means the entire forest is closed and includes no target shooting at all as per the nature of the forest closure. All existing regulations for discharging a firearm on public lands still apply regardless of the level of restriction.

*The Kaibab NF developed sites are:  White Horse Lake Campground, Dogtown Lake Campground, Kaibab Lake Campground, Ten-X Campground, Jacob Lake Campground and DeMotte Campground.

STAGE 1 (GENERAL)

Prohibitions:

1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove, except within a developed recreation site. 
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle, building, or a *developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material.

Exemptions:

1. Using a stove or grill solely fueled by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the device.
2. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of any organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
3. Persons with a Forest Service permit specifically authorizing the prohibited act or omission.

An exemption does not absolve an individual or organization from liability or responsibility for any fire started by the exempted activity.

STAGE 2 (ELEVATED)

Prohibitions:

1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove fire, including fires in developed campgrounds and improved sites.
2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or a *developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material.
3. Mechanical and industrial prohibitions:

• Operating chainsaws or any internal combustion engine between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame.
• Using an explosive.
• Using fireworks, which are never allowed on a forest.

Exemptions:

1. Persons with a written permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act. This process can be utilized in cases where public works and public utility emergency repairs are necessary.
2. Industrial operations where specific operations and exemptions are identified and mitigation measures are implemented as outlined in an agency plan. 
3. Persons using a stove or grill fueled solely by liquid petroleum or LPG fuels that can be turned on and off. Such devices can only be used in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the device.
4. Operating generators with an approved spark arresting device within an enclosed vehicle or building or in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the generator.
5. Operating motorized vehicles in compliance with Forest Travel Management Regulations. Parking off any road must be in an area that is barren or cleared of all overhead and surrounding flammable materials within 3 feet of the vehicle.
6. Persons conducting activities in those designated areas where the activity is specifically authorized by written posted notice.
7. Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force or other authorized personnel in the performance of an official duty.
8. All land within a city boundary is exempted unless otherwise stated by city ordinance.

An exemption does not absolve an individual or organization from liability or responsibility for any fire started by the exempted activity.

STAGE 3 (CLOSURE)

Stage III is closure. This stage is selected when there are very high risks and the ability to manage those risks using Stage I or II restrictions is no longer viable. The social, economic, and political impacts of implementing a closure at this point are outweighed by the benefits associated with virtually eliminating the potential for human-caused fire starts.

The area is closed to all entry (36 CFR 261.52(e)) other than as follows:

• Persons with a written fire entry and activity permit that specifically authorizes the otherwise prohibited act. This may include such persons as grazing-permit holders when entry is needed to gather, move, or otherwise manage their permitted livestock, special-use authorization holders when access is needed to maintain emergency or other communications operations, and others.
• Any federal, state, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or firefighting force in the performance of an official duty.
• Resident owners and lessees of land within the closed area.

Penalties:

Violations of these regulations is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, by a fine of not more than $5000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six (6) months or both.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS VARIABLES AND DECISIONS

Fire restrictions that include bans involve several variables researched by the fire personnel then reported by the Forest Fire Staff Officer to the Forest Service Line Officer (Forest Supervisor) for the final decision.

Fire danger levels and rainfall are contributing factors for this decision. How much rain has fallen over an amount of time is one part. If the rainfall was light and for a short period, it doesn't seep in to the landscape well compared to a long and steady rain over a longer period of time. Also, some areas of the forest may receive more than other areas of rain and that is also under consideration.

Finally, weather predictions from the National Weather Service is used to see how the precipitation factor will evolve over the current and following weeks. If it lightly rains for a few days over parts of the forest, then a drying trend is anticipated for a longer period of time then changing fire restrictions every few days is not in the best interest for the health of the forest.

AREA CLOSURES

If conditions warrant, forest managers may close portions of the forest to all public entry. On Kaibab National Forest, it is not uncommon for the Bill Williams Mountain Watershed on the Williams Ranger District to be closed for periods of time during fire season.

FOREST CLOSURE

In rare circumstances when fire danger is extreme and human-caused fires are not being prevented through the implementation of fire restrictions, forest managers may decide to close the entire forest to public entry. The last time the entire Kaibab National Forest was closed to public entry was 2002.

 

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