Warm temperatures, dry conditions and an increase in wildfires have prompted the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management to implement Stage 1 fire restrictions on state trust lands in Pinal County tomorrow.

Level 1 fire restrictions mean:

  • Wood and charcoal fires are only permitted in designated campsites and picnic areas.
  • Smoking is only permitted indoors, in a vehicle or in a developed recreational area.
  • Fires, campfires, charcoal, coal and wood stoves are prohibited except within a developed recreation area.
  • Fireworks of any kind are prohibited.

The restrictions remain in force until further notice.

Jeff Chew, Reporter

Jeff Chew has been in journalism for nearly 50 years, having worked for large, medium and small daily and weekly newspapers. He retired in 2019, but after four years as a vegetable gardener, he felt the urge to return to a digital newsroom. He has worked in all areas of editing and reporting, from Lake Havasu City to Dallas, Texas, and from Colorado Springs to California’s Bay Area. Most recently, he worked as a reporter, broadcaster and editor in the Washington state capitol in Olympia and on the North Olympic Peninsula. He also has experience writing and editing radio and video news. He has a degree in broadcast journalism from Arizona State University and lives in the province.