Officials are warning about the use of fireworks and the potential for sparking brush fires over the Fourth of July holiday.
That danger is partly due to the wet winter.
Increased precipitation has led to more groundcover this year.
Phoenix Fire Cpt. Kimberly Quick says that vegetation combined with recent weather has created a bad mix.
“We have the high heat, high temp. Low relative humidity and so it's just constantly drying out the fuels and creating tinder which is, you know, risks to more wildland fires around the area. Our washes, our dry washes that are just loaded with brush," Quick said.
Quick says that there are firework restrictions. Any that are designed to rise in the air and detonate above the ground are illegal for personal use across Arizona.
“I remind everyone to be very cautious even in their own yard with any dry fuel. You know, a little sparkler burns at 2000 degrees and that can cause a lot of damage to landscape and create house fires as well as burn injuries," Quick said.
All fireworks are prohibited in within a mile of city preservation lands, national forests, state parks and on state trust land.
