Tonto National Forest restricts campfires, smoking to curb wildfire risk

Campfires, charcoal, briquettes and stove fires were shut down across Tonto National Forest as Stage 1 fire restrictions took effect May 15 at 8 a.m., forcing anyone headed for the Mogollon Rim, forest roads, or lakeside camps to rethink dinner, smoking breaks and evening camp setups before they leave town.

The order covers all National Forest System lands, roads and trails inside the forest boundary and is scheduled to run through September 30 unless rescinded sooner. Under the new rules, visitors cannot build, maintain, attend or use any fire, campfire or stove fire outside a Forest Service structure in a designated area. Smoking is limited to enclosed vehicles and buildings, official recreation sites, or a spot at least three feet across that is barren or cleared of flammable material.

The practical workaround is propane or liquid petroleum gear, and even that comes with a condition: devices fueled solely by LP gas may be used only where overhead and surrounding flammable material has been cleared within three feet. Fireworks and other incendiary devices, including exploding targets, remain off-limits on all national forest lands at any time.

That matters across a forest that stretches 2.9 million acres and climbs from 1,300 to 7,900 feet, where desert, lake and pine country can all sit under different fire conditions on the same weekend. The restrictions hit backpackers, dispersed campers, anglers, OHV users and anyone planning a long haul around Horseshoe Lake, the Verde River, or high-country pullouts where a simple campfire used to anchor the night.

The timing follows a sharp run of fire activity. A Horseshoe Fire near Horseshoe Lake started at 1:15 p.m. on May 7 and had burned about 250 acres by the time crews were working it, with reports placing it at 45% contained and 233 acres on May 10. Local reporting also said multiple human-caused fires, including the Wildcat Fire and the Spring and Adams fires, burned almost 23,500 acres in just over a month.

Forest officials said the order is tied to current and predicted weather, fuel moisture, fire activity levels and the firefighting resources available. Tonto has used Stage 1 restrictions before, including a forestwide order on July 6, 2023, and another round in 2024 that also affected recreational target shooting. For anyone heading into the Tonto tonight, the message is immediate: plan for a no-fire trip, or the night at camp will look very different by the time the sun drops.