Forest Officials Offer Campfire Safety Tips

Fire season is under way in Arizona and with Easter occurring April 16 followed by Memorial Day and its customary three-day weekend in late May, visitation is beginning to increase on the Tonto National Forest. Officials offer the following campfire tips to help practice fire safety.

• When possible, use an established campfire ring;

• Clear the area down to bare soil;

• Build campfires away from overhanging branches, steep slopes, rotten stumps, logs, dry grass, pine needles and leaves;

• Move extra wood away from the fire;

• Avoid building a campfire when it’s windy;

• Do not bury coals as they can smolder and re-ignite later;

• Drown the fire with water and dirt, stir the remains, and repeat this process until the campfire is cold to the touch, and

• Never leave a campfire unattended.

Additional safety information is available online at https://smokeybear.com/en/prevention-how-tos/campfire-safety.