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Resident urges elimination of exemptions to state fire restrictions after large wildfires
Summary
During public comment, a resident cited recent massive wildfires and urged state legislators and the county emergency manager to remove exemptions in fire‑restriction rules that he says undermine protections.
Pinetop Lakeside — At the council's public comment period, resident Jim Beck urged state and county officials to remove exemptions from Arizona's fire‑restriction rules after citing nearby large wildfires and current drought conditions.
Beck told the council Arizona is "currently experiencing severe drought conditions" and cited two large fires to the west and east that he said burned 462,600 and 538,000 acres, respectively. He said the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management warned that fires that historically occurred roughly every 100 years now could be expected every 10 years. "We could expect them every 10 years," Beck said.
Beck said he read the state's fire‑restrictions webpage and was alarmed to find exemptions that, in his view, undercut the restrictions. He quoted the site as allowing some fires "used only for cooking of food or for providing warmth for human beings or for recreational purposes" while other language prohibits campfires and similar open flames during Stage 1 and Stage 2 restrictions. He described the apparent inconsistency as "a very serious mistake" and compared the state's rules to the White Mountain Apache Tribe, which he said maintains Stage 1 restrictions year‑round with no listed exemptions.
Beck urged citizens to contact state Representative David Marshall and state Representative Walt Blackman, and Navajo County Emergency Manager Katrina Jenkins, and provided phone numbers during his remarks.
Why it matters: Public concerns about fire restrictions and enforcement are timely given drought conditions and the risk of large wildfires in the region. The comment was delivered as public input; the council did not take action during the meeting.
What happened next: The council accepted the comment during the public comment period; no staff or council action was recorded in response during the meeting.
