Opinion

Fire-free forests

It's good that the Coronado National Forest has imposed a ban on campfires as of this morning. The Coronado's 1.8 million acres, spread out across Southern Arizona, turn tinder dry in the June heat. But this predictable fire ban may not be enough to avert disaster. A decade into a drought that wildfire experts say will produce more conflagrations like the disastrous Bullock and Aspen fires, it may be time to consider broader restrictions. It seems appropriate to now think about a ban on campfires in national forests for up to half of the year. The fire-danger signs read "Moderate" in Southern Arizona's forests during May this year, so there appeared no need to stop campers and picnickers from the primal joy that comes from watching flames dance on a crackling pile of sticks. It's a main reason many of us head out there in the first place. But just two years ago, crews from the Northwest Fire/Rescue District were battling their first wildfires in February. And anyone who has ever sat in reverie over a campfire has seen ash and embers float away on the wind. The danger of a fire is always there. Multiply it, say, times 100 for every campsite in the Pinaleno Mountains and you see the disconnect between the dire warnings and the public policy. "After 10 years of drought, any moisture you get disappears in a heartbeat," said Chris Peterson, fire management officer for the Coronado district that includes the Pinalenos, in an Arizona Daily Star story earlier this month. "This is a powder keg compared to other places." Forest officials, charged with administering this "Land of Many Uses," do a balancing act when it comes to fire restrictions - weighing the chronic drought-induced wildfire danger against factors such as the volume and moisture content of the flammable material on the forest floor. They determine with scientific accuracy the likelihood of fire breaking out in specific areas at specific times and issue directives accordingly to campers, hikers, and all who use the forests. They may restrict open fires to developed campgrounds with fire rings only. They may close a forest area to people altogether. And they do a good job: Major Arizona wildfires of recent years did not start in a campfire ring, at the hands of people obeying the rules. But the directives can be complicated. Some examples: The Three Forks fire that's coming under control at the edge of the White Mountains was human-caused, probably originating in a popular but undeveloped camp site. Fires were prohibited there at the time - but not at nearby developed campgrounds, where conditions were just as dry. Then there is the federal agency that says smoking cigarettes is prohibited except in certain places, including any area 10 feet in diameter that is cleared of "all flammable material." Other agencies don't include this. And finally, the Coronado forest felt it necessary to issue a "clarification" about fire restrictions when it appeared to be at odds with other forests in the state in a pre-Memorial Day release. What's more, communicating these restrictions so they will be effective is a challenge. Ten agencies responsible for a patchwork quilt of public lands in Arizona have done their best to coordinate the effort through a valuable web site, www.azfireinfo.com. They also issue press releases picked up by newspapers, radio and TV. They post notices at campsites and picnic areas. The trouble is, there are 52 different public areas listed at that web site - each with its own restrictions. It may be time to consider replacing the letter of all these laws with a general fire-free atmosphere on our public lands, from May through September. If we make the rules simple we make them more effective. About half Arizona's wildfires, those not caused by lightning, are the fault of humans. Many of them are ignorant of the rules or deliberately flout them. A new rule might not stop them. But a seasonal ban would certainly make their dangerous behavior stand out more and perhaps, reduce the chronic threat of fire. If the drought is as perilous as we're told, and anyone who watched the Aspen fire burn toward Tucson last June knows that it is, then such a sweeping prohibition is clearly essential.