High fire danger prompts fire restrictions in San Juan County and beyond

Current and forecasted weather conditions coupled with extremely dry conditions and heavy loading of vegetation throughout San Juan County have created hazardous fire conditions.
As a result, on June 29, all State, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and National Park Service lands and all unincorporated private lands in the following areas are under fire restrictions:
• State lands and unincorporated private lands in San Juan County.
• BLM lands located in San Juan County.
• National Park Service including Canyonlands, and Arches national parks and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments.
The restrictions will be in place until the fire hazard subsides. Maps and more specific information about the fire restrictions may be found on the interagency Utah Fire Info website.
The restriction orders are specific to each agency and may contain different stipulations, but all the orders have in common a prohibition of the following acts:
1. No campfires, except in permanently constructed cement or metal fire pits provided in developed campgrounds and picnic areas.
2. No smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area that is paved, barren, or cleared to mineral soil.
In addition, metal cutting, welding, and grinding activities in areas of dry vegetation as well as discharging or using any kind of fireworks, firing steel tipped/core ammunition, tracer ammunition or other pyrotechnic devices including exploding targets are prohibited on BLM and State/Private Unincorporated lands.
These restrictions do not apply to the Manti-La Sal and Ashley National Forest Service lands or lands within incorporated towns and cities. However, each municipality may have similar or more restrictive ordinances. Questions about specific areas should be directed to local authorities.
For more information about fire restrictions, wildfires, fire prevention, and fuels treatment projects, please visit www.utahfireinfo.gov.