Bureau of Land Management Implements Fire Restrictions Due to Increased Fire Risk

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Beginning June 6, stage one fire restrictions are in effect in central and western Arizona, including Yuma County, due to the risk increased fire.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) says 530 fires have burned more than 47,000 acres in Arizona in 2024 alone, with some occurring in Yuma along the Colorado River.

One of these was the “Refuge Fire” which burned just north of Lake Martinez during the last week of May and was started by a flare gun.

BLM says more than half of this year's fires were human-caused. They share some of the restrictions aimed at helping reduce human-caused fires as the weather becomes drier and hotter in the coming months.

Restrictions include limited smoking, cutting or welding on public lands, recreational target shooting, and lighting a wood or charcoal fire outside a developed area. If you are not at a campsite on BLM-managed land, you are permitted to use gas stoves that can be turned on and off.

BLM does not restrict vehicles, but they say to make sure your vehicle is in good working order to limit vehicle-caused fires.

“If these chains are not properly connected, they drag and create sparks,” said Dolores Garcia, Arizona Bureau of Land Management. “Plus, if your tires aren't inflated properly, that rim can spark on the pavement, causing a wildfire.”

BLM says the restrictions will remain in place during extreme periods of the fire season, which will last several months.