Arizona saw fewer wildfires and a dramatic reduction in the number of acres burned in 2018.
The department says the lack of moisture and severe drought conditions set the stage for a very active season, which is why it made the move to put the entire state of Arizona under fire restrictions in late May.
Department Spokeswoman Tiffany Davila says the dramatic prevention measures had an effect on the year-end numbers.
“In 2018 we had more than 165,000 acres burned across Arizona, as compared to the previous year where fires charred nearly 420,000 acres so that’s a significant decrease,” she said.
The department says 2018 was the first time in ten years the state put closures into place for recreational use on state-owned and managed lands.
