The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department will initiate its annual fire ban on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.
“Given the abundance of rain we’ve received this year, we’ve had an outstanding wildflower season. Unfortunately, as the blooms and brush die off and dry out, the parks are left with dangerous levels of fuel loads on the ground that can ignite a wildfire with just a small spark,” said R.J. Cardin, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Director. “As a land manager, we believe the decision to implement sooner rather than later is the responsible thing to do to ensure park visitor and park resource safety.”
A fire ban is initiated to limit the possibility of starting a brush fire, which could cause serious damage to the parks.