The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will ban open fires in city mountain preserves* effective Monday, May 12. In consultation with the Phoenix Fire Department, smoking and charcoal fires again will be included in the ban due to the extreme fire danger created from rising temperatures and dropping humidity levels.

For those using the preserves, the fire ban stipulates the following:

Motorists traveling through or near Phoenix desert preserves should exercise extreme care with smoking materials and use only their vehicle’s ash trays to dispose of smoking materials.

To protect their homes, residents whose property borders the preserves may remove dry shrubs, brush and grasses and trim dead branches from trees within the ten-foot strip of preserve bordering their property. By creating this ten-foot “buffer zone,” residents can help to protect their homes from brush fires in the adjacent preserve. Before removing vegetation, residents can review their removal plan with a Park Ranger by calling 602-495-5458. Preserve neighbors also should check irrigation lines and pool back-flush hoses to ensure that water is not seeping into the preserve. Outside water sources encourage unnaturally dense vegetation growth, which increases fire risk.

Residents can get brush removal information or make inquiries by calling 602-495-5458. The Parks Department has created a Webpage with comprehensive fire ban information at phoenix.gov/parks/fireinfo.html. The Web page contains an e-mail form residents can use to send questions to park rangers, comprehensive information on brush removal and details on the fire ban.

*The ban applies to Camelback Mountain; Papago Park; all areas of the Phoenix Mountains; South Mountain Park/Preserve; and North Mountain and its adjoining areas. The fire ban does NOT apply to traditional city parks.