Gila National Forest enters Stage 1 Fire Restrictions

Given heightened fire danger from an unusually warm and dry winter, the Gila National Forest will implement forest-wide Stage 1 Fire Restrictions starting at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 23, 2026. These restrictions will continue through September 30, 2026 unless rescinded or extended. These restrictions are in place to help reduce the risk of human-caused fires on the forest.

Under Stage 1 restrictions, igniting, building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire is only allowed in fire structures provided by the Forest Service within designated areas, such as named, developed campgrounds or picnic areas. Smoking is allowed only within an enclosed vehicle, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area that is at least three feet in diameter and clear of all flammable material. Be sure to fully extinguish your cigarette and dispose of it properly.

Campfires are prohibited at all dispersed or informal camping sites on the forest per this order. A stove or grill fueled by propane or other liquefied petroleum fuels may be used in dispersed camping areas where at least three feet of flammable materials have been cleared above and around the device.

Any violation of these prohibitions is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor.

Many factors contributed to this decision to enact Stage 1 restrictions. Long-term severe drought in the region, increased tree mortality across the forest from drought and insects, and forecasted weather patterns which indicate higher temperatures and drier conditions for March through June are some of the underlying conditions prompting these restrictions.

While many fires on the Gila National Forest are caused by lightning, several large fires in the forest have been caused by humans, including the 2022 Black Fire which burned over 300,000 acres.

The full text of Forest Order #03-06-00-25-001 including a list of designated campgrounds and picnic areas where contained fires are allowed under these restrictions can be found on the forest website at Gila National Forest – Alerts & Closures.

For more information about this order, please contact the Gila National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Silver City at 575-388-8201 or email sm.fs.gilapao@usda.gov.