Fire restrictions set on public lands

Wednesday, June 9, 2004 | 9:26 a.m.

SUN STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

With drought conditions boosting seasonal fire threats ahead of schedule, fire restrictions will go into effect within a week on state and federal lands across much of Nevada.

Restrictions for Southern Nevada, which include limitations on smoking and open flames on park land, will go into effect Tuesday, Kirsten Cannon, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management said.

Northern Nevada will begin its restrictions at 12:01 a.m. Friday, she said.

Fireworks will be prohibited on public land, as they are every summer, Cannon said.

The restrictions prohibit:

Previous precipitation in the area make it difficult to speculate how dangerous this summer will be for BLM land, but the agency is taking precautions with three new fire stations in Southern Nevada, Cannon said.

Lightning strikes, which can quickly spark large-scale wildfires when, remain a wild card in summer weather predictions, she said.

"The fuel (to start a fire) is definitely out there," Cannon said. "Now it's a matter of it we get the weather. The big key with all fires is stopping them when they're small."

Other fire management officers said in western Nevada and eastern California grass, brush and timber are drying out more than a month early due to high temperatures and lack of moisture.

In recent years some of the region's biggest fires have started in June, state and federal officials said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

"The potential for another devastating fire during the continuing drought is very real," they said.

The restrictions in Northern Nevada will apply to all roads and trails below 8,000 feet within the boundaries of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest's Carson and Bridgeport ranger districts, and all Nevada Division of Forestry areas roads and trails within the Sierra Forest Fire Protection District in Carson, Douglas and Washoe counties.

Stephen Curran and the Associated Press contributed to this story.