Fire allowed on the trails?

[mia]

Hi all, first timer here. I'm about to start out on my first hike of the Arizona Trail. Is there fire allowed on any of the trails and if so is there a good spot to find out current conditions or where they are okay?
While I have your attention-- Any advice on which passage to start out on near Tucson?
Thanks!

[chumley]

As long as you are on National Forest land or BLM land you may have a fire in a dispersed camp with the only exception I know being the area immediately north of Flagstaff (too close to town).

State Trust Land allows you to hike on the trail, but I don't believe it allows camping or other use without purchasing the annual permit, in which case it is ok. @sredfield knows more about the STL rules.

There are not currently any fire restrictions, and generally are not any except from April-September depending on elevation and land manager. You can check current restrictions here: https://firerestrictions.us/az/

A common concern for through-hikers is how to safely extinguish a fire before continuing on. With the lack of water along much of the trail, many forego a fire altogether, since putting it out "cold" is very difficult to do and our dry climate makes improperly extinguished camp fires a catastrophe waiting to happen.

[DallinW]

State Trust Land allows you to hike on the trail, but I don't believe it allows camping or other use without purchasing the annual permit, in which case it is ok.

In the case of the AZT, I believe they have been granted a "right of way" and camping is allowed on State Trust land if you are within a certain (very close) proximity of the trail.

Edit: 15 foot right of way. http://www.aztrail.org/thru-hikers.php See "permits."

[Sredfield]

Official fire policy is up to the land manager, that is, the FS, BLM, State Land Department, National Park Service, etc. But for the reasons Chumley spells out, they are not a good idea and few if any thru hikers make fires. And I'll add one more, as the trail gets increasingly popular they would severely affect the aesthetics of the trail experience, especially in the fragile desert areas.

If ya really got to have one, and are near water where you can be absolutley certain it is totally extinguished, maybe move several hundred yards off the trail for it.

[flagscott]

If ya really got to have one, and are near water where you can be absolutley certain it is totally extinguished, maybe move several hundred yards off the trail for it.

I would just add to this: to put your fire out completely, you essentially need to drown it and stir all of the ashes and charcoals into a muddy slurry. For a normal-sized fire, you'll need a gallon of water at least, probably more. This means that you should not plan on having fires unless you are camped near water, which limits your options a lot on the AZT.

(I have a personal stake in good fire behavior because I live in Flagstaff, and I'm certain that someday some idiot's campfire is going to burn down half the city, just like happened in Gatlinburg and Los Alamos and Fort McMurry and San Diego and so on. Please don't be that idiot.)