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Monsoons Bring Relief To Some Forests And Danger To Others

Salto Fire - Coronado National Forest
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Salto Fire - Coronado National Forest

On Wednesday, all fire restrictions and land closures in the Coconino National Forest will be lifted.

Heavy rain early in the week and more moisture in the forecast led officials to confidently open the northern Arizona forest, said George Jozens, deputy public affairs officer with the Coconino National Forest.  

“So people will be able to have campfires on the forest … if they can find a dry fire ring to put it in,” he said.

While months of hot, dry weather lead to dangerous wildfires and strict fire restrictions, Jozens said officials are now warning campers of new dangers.

“We’re getting a lot of rain, a lot of thunderstorms, and if people are in those areas where there's a possibility of flooding, they need to make sure that if there's water crossing the road, they don’t go in it,” he said.

On the other hand, the Coronado National Forest near the southern Arizona border is still under stage two fire restrictions.

The latest weather brought lightning, but not a lot of rain, and crews are fighting three “dry lightning” blazes sparked by a monsoon storm on Monday.

Claire Caulfield was a reporter and Morning Edition producer at KJZZ from 2015 to 2019.