Where There's Smoke There's Fire

Visitors headed to the Grand Canyon for the Fourth-of-July weekend may find it hard to locate a non-smoking section; outdoors that is. Several sizable wildfires in southern Utah are responsible for the brownish haze in the air that is diminishing the world-class views for which Grand Canyon is famous. Wildfires are naturally occurring phenomena in the forests of the West, and are especially common in the hotter summer months during which humidity drops to single digits. Wildfires are typically started by “dry” lightning, and, unfortunately, by humans making careless use of fire. Due to the latter, there are often fire and use restrictions in national parks and national forests. Check out the following website to see if your desired destination is affected: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/fire/information/firerestrictions/az/restrictions_az.htm. Be safe, have fun, and please use extra caution when utilizing campfires or disposing of cigarettes.