- The Bureau of Reclamation issued fire restrictions on July 1, 2026, for federal lands in Southern California and across much of Arizona.
- High temperatures, low humidity, and dry vegetation have created dangerous wildfire conditions across the region.
- Open fires, campfires, fireworks, and even smoking outside a vehicle are now prohibited on affected federal lands.
- Violations can result in fines, up to six months in jail, or both.
- The restrictions apply to millions of acres across eleven Arizona counties and two Southern California counties.
Thursday, July 2, 2026 — The summer heat is not just uncomfortable this year. Federal officials say it is dangerous enough to ban open fires on vast stretches of public land across the Southwest.
On July 1, 2026, the Bureau of Reclamation announced fire restrictions for federal lands it manages in two separate orders: one covering Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California
, and another blanketing eleven counties across Arizona, including Mohave, Maricopa, Pima, Yuma, and seven others stretching from the state’s northwestern corner to its southeastern border.
The orders took effect immediately.
What Is Driving the Concern?
The Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency best known for managing the West’s major dams and water supply systems, also oversees large stretches of land along rivers and reservoirs. That land, agency officials say, is now primed to burn.
The culprit is a familiar combination across the desert Southwest: soaring temperatures, air so dry it can turn vegetation into tinder, and a landscape that has had little relief from moisture. When those three factors collide, a single spark can race across the land in minutes.
The restrictions are not entirely new territory. The Bureau of Land Management had already issued fire prevention orders for California’s desert district back in April 2026 and for Arizona’s land management districts in May 2026. The Bureau of Reclamation’s July 1 orders formally align federal reclamation lands with those existing restrictions and, in some cases, enforce whichever set of rules is stricter.
What Exactly Is Banned?
The list of prohibited activities is broad and covers far more than the obvious campfire.
Open fires of any kind are out. That means no campfires, no charcoal grills, and no fire pits, except at developed recreation sites that already have agency-approved fire pits or grill fixtures in place.
Welding equipment and acetylene torches that produce open flames are also prohibited, unless the operator holds a specific permit allowing the work.
All fireworks are banned on these federal lands. That includes the kind marketed as “Safe and Sane” fireworks, which are often legal at the state or local level but carry no exemption here. With the Fourth of July falling just three days after the announcement, the timing carries real significance for anyone who had planned to celebrate near federal land.
The order also prohibits possession and use of tracer rounds, steel-jacket ammunition, explosive targets, and similar incendiary devices. All motor vehicles and combustion engine equipment must be fitted with a working spark arrestor, a device that prevents hot particles from escaping an engine’s exhaust and landing in dry grass or brush.
Smoking is restricted to the inside of an enclosed vehicle only.
Portable camp stoves powered by gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel are still allowed, but the agency urges users to exercise caution.
Who Is Exempt?
Not everyone on these lands must abide by the same rules. People who hold a valid permit specifically authorizing an otherwise restricted activity are exempt. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and members of organized firefighting crews performing official duties are also exempt.
Everyone else is expected to comply.
The Consequences of Ignoring the Rules.
Federal officials are not treating these restrictions as suggestions. Under federal law, anyone who violates the order can face fines under federal sentencing statutes or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
The restrictions for California remain in force until the Bureau of Land Management’s California Desert District Office lifts its own seasonal restrictions. The Arizona restrictions stay in place until all Bureau of Land Management offices across that state rescind their seasonal orders.
A Broad Reach Across the Southwest.
The geographic footprint of these combined orders is enormous.
On the California side, the restrictions cover reclamation-managed lands in Imperial County, which stretches along the Mexican border and encompasses the Salton Sea and the agricultural fields of the Imperial Valley, and Riverside County, a sprawling county that reaches from the Los Angeles metro area east into the desert.
In Arizona, the restrictions cover eleven counties: Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, Maricopa, Gila, Pinal, Pima, Cochise, Graham, La Paz, and Yuma. That list essentially covers most of the state outside of the northeastern corner, including land near the Colorado River and its reservoirs, lands near Tucson, and lands stretching south toward the border with Mexico.
Questions? Here Is Who to Call.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s point of contact for questions about these fire restrictions is Justin DeMaio, an archaeologist with the Lower Colorado Basin’s Environmental Compliance Group. He can be reached by phone at (702) 293-8359 or by email at jdemaio@usbr.gov.
For anyone planning a visit to federal land in Southern California or Arizona this summer, checking the current fire restriction status before heading out is not just good advice. Under these orders, it is the law.
