Increased fire restrictions in effect for Southern Utah

ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC4) — The Utah Bureau of Land Management has issued Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for multiple Southern Utah counties due to rapidly increasing fire danger.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, June 1, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will be in effect for portions of Washington, Kane and Garfield counties. This includes all BLM and National Park Service-managed land, unincorporated private lands and all state-owned land.

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Utah BLM says the increase in Stage 1 Fire Restrictions is due to an increase in fire activity as conditions become hotter and drier in the coming months.

The following activities will be prohibited during these restrictions:

• No campfires or open fires outside of agency-improved and maintained campgrounds and homesites in southwest Utah. Running water is required on cabins or homesites on unincorporated private land. Devices fueled by liquid petroleum are allowed.
• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or wood stove fire, except within a developed recreation site or improved site.
• No discharging of fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices outside of incorporated city limits or on public lands (city-specific restrictions may apply). Fireworks are always prohibited on all federal lands.
• No shooting of exploding targets or tracer ammunition.
• No cutting, grinding, or welding of metals in areas of dry vegetation. This includes acetylene torches.
• No use of equipment without a working a properly maintained spark arrestor (if required).
• No smoking near vegetation or outside of a developed recreation site, personal vehicle, or building.
• No open fires of any kind are allowed in Zion National Park’s Watchman Campground (Stage 2 Fire Restrictions).
• Campfires are allowed in improved and maintained campgrounds at Lava Point in Zion National Park.
• Campfires are allowed at Glen Canyon in established campgrounds within established rings or below the high-water mark, only in areas completely void of vegetation.