On Thursday, the Arizona Office of Tourism urged those with travel plans to proceed with their plans but to remain diligent about staying informed about fire conditions. Several wildfires are burning in various parts of the state heading into Memorial Day Weekend.
Sherry Henry, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, reminds travelers that Sedona, Flagstaff and many other summer tourist destinations are open for business.
“Other than Slide Rock State Park, which is closed due to the Slide Fire, all other state parks remain open,” said Henry. “As long as people travel with caution, there is no reason not to get out and explore our great state. In fact, many local businesses are counting on visitors to travel this weekend.”
“We understand the serious nature of what is occurring in certain areas of Arizona. Our primary concern is for the citizens and businesses impacted by the fires. We extend our best wishes to those impacted and we offer our gratitude to the firefighters and public safety officials working to keep everyone safe.”
Henry also said campfire and smoking restrictions are in place at many recreational areas on public lands statewide, including all six national forests in Arizona. The forest service, along with other federal, state and local partners, implement these restrictions as a precautionary measure to protect public health and safety, and to reduce preventable human-caused fires.
The following resources are available for travelers to stay up-to-date on the latest conditions and closures:
Incident Information System (lists current fires in Arizona): http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/3/
Arizona Emergency Information Network: http://www.azein.gov/azein/default.aspx
Arizona Interagency Wildfire Prevention: http://wildlandfire.az.gov
Arizona State Parks Department: http://azstateparks.com/