Fire restrictions in place for Southern Nevada
Southern Nevada fire restrictions were announced Monday ahead of a hot and dry week in the Las Vegas Valley.
The workweek began with a high of 104 degrees, the National Weather Service said, but the rest of the workweek will be slightly cooler, with Tuesday’s high expected to reach 103; Wednesday, 101; Thursday, 100; and Friday, 101.
Overnight lows during the period will be between 74 and 77 degrees.
Afternoon breezes gusting up to 20 mph are expected Monday through Thursday, and it will be mostly sunny this week with the exception of “a few passing high clouds,” meteorologist Alex Boothe said.
Meanwhile, the restrictions to prevent wildfires are a joint effort by the Bureau of Land Management, Clark County, the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
The interagency restrictions prohibit:
— building a campfire or using a charcoal stove
— welding or operating a torch unless permitted to do so
— using any explosives or fireworks
— operating off-road vehicles without a spark arrestor
Meanwhile, a handful of agency-specific restrictions also have been implemented:
— Bureau of Land Management: Steel core ammunition or explosive targets are prohibited. Smoking is allowed only in enclosed vehicles.
— Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Wood or charcoal fires are allowed in grills installed in designated picnic areas and campgrounds where a host is present. Wood or charcoal burning devices also are allowed on the shoreline where natural vegetation is at least 100 feet from the shoreline, while barbecue grills are permitted on boats outside the harbors. Smoking also is allowed in enclosed vehicles.
— Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument: Fires are never permitted.
— U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: On the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, the use of fire rings is required while fire restriction are in place. In the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, visitors are required to use grills or the provided fire rings as rock rings or ground fires are not permitted.
— U.S. Forest Service: Campfires are allowed within the approved fire pits or grills provided in developed recreation sites. Smoking is allowed in areas at least three feet in diameter that are clear of all flammable materials. Temporary shooting restrictions also continue to be in place in Lovell Canyon.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Mike Shoro contributed to this report.