Ashley National Forest has placed fire restrictions to help reduce the potential for wildfires and provide for public safety. These restrictions include no igniting, building, maintaining, or using a fire outside of fire structure provided by the Forest Service; no smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of any flammable material; no cutting, grinding or welding metal in areas of vegetation; and finally do not operate an internal combustion engine without a properly installed USDA or SAE approved spark arresting device, a 5 lb fire extinguisher and a shovel. Also, exploding target devices are always prohibited in the forest.“With the lack of our typical monsoon rains this year and the lack of rain in the near term forecast the Forest is dry and the potential for fires will continue to increase in the near term driving the need to restrict campfires,” stated Joseph Flores, Ashley National Forest Fire Management Officer.
