September 21, 2009

(Phoenix) – The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department will lift its annual fire ban beginning Thursday, October 1, 2009. This allows park visitors to use campfires, fire pits, and charcoal grills.

“We typically lift our fire ban prior to Labor Day weekend; however, the lack of rain this year forced us to extend our fire ban,” stated R.J. Cardin, Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department Director. “With the brush being extremely dry, we will be keeping a close eye on the parks. If wind conditions become a problem, we may have to issue temporary fire bans. We have set-up an alert system on each of the park home pages and will post fire ban information on their respective sites,” added Cardin.

The system-wide fire ban was initiated in early May to limit the possibility of starting a brush fire, which could cause serious damage to the parks.

There are ten Maricopa County Parks: Lake Pleasant Regional Park, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, Adobe Dam Regional Park, Buckeye Hills Regional Park, Estrella Mountain Regional Park, San Tan Mountain Regional Park, Usery Mountain Regional Park, McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Cave Creek Regional Park, and Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area.

If you have any questions regarding any of the parks, call the Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department at (602) 506-2930, or visit www.maricopa.gov/parks.

Dawna L. Taylor
Public Information Officer
Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department
234 N. Central Avenue, Ste. 6400
Phoenix, Arizona 85004
(602) 506-1114
(602) 506-4692 - fax
(602) 525-5733 - cell

From hiking on a barrier-free trail, to horseback riding along a creek, Maricopa County Parks offer visitors the best of the Sonoran Desert. To learn more, visit the Parks Website at www.maricopa.gov/parks!

Dinghy Digest ®