Amid rising wildfire concerns, officials have announced that Stage 1 fire restrictions will go into effect across Southern Nevada starting Friday, May 29. The coordinated effort spans multiple jurisdictions, affecting public lands, counties and municipalities across Clark County and portions of Nye County.

According to fire prevention officials, the restrictions are a vital step in preventing human-caused blazes as summer approaches.

“Last year in Southern Nevada, over 90% of fires on public lands were caused by humans. Most of these fires were accidental and preventable,” said Shane Kelly, Fire Prevention Specialist for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service. Kelly urged outdoor enthusiasts to check local restrictions and take simple precautions, such as properly maintaining vehicles to avoid sparks and extinguishing campfires completely.

General Stage 1 restrictions

The baseline Stage 1 restrictions apply broadly across the region and strictly prohibit the following activities until they are officially rescinded:

• Campfires and open flames: Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire (including wood, charcoal, or any other material) is banned. Exceptions are made only by permit or when using designated fire enclosures in developed fee campgrounds and picnic areas. Portable stoves utilizing gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel remain permitted.
• Smoking: Outdoor smoking is restricted to enclosed vehicles, buildings, or developed recreation sites. If stopped in an un-designated area, the smoker must be in a space at least three feet in diameter that is completely barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
• Vehicle operation: Parking or operating motorized vehicles over or on top of dried or cured vegetation is strictly prohibited.
• Hot work: Welding, metal grinding, or operating an acetylene or other torch with an open flame is banned unless authorized by a permit.

Specific local and agency variations

Because individual jurisdictions may enforce additional rules or year-round bans, authorities emphasize that fire restrictions can vary greatly across the state. Key agency-specific rules include:

Municipal & county regulations

• Las Vegas: The city has banned the use of charcoal or open-flame cooking devices on balconies and within 10 feet of any combustible structure. Trash burning is permanently banned, and open ceremonial bonfires are restricted. Furthermore, approved “Safe & Sane” fireworks are only permitted from June 28 until midnight on July 4.
• Henderson & North Las Vegas: Both cities prohibit all fireworks except for licensed “Safe & Sane” varieties during the designated June 28 to July 4 window. Henderson officials noted that illegal fireworks will be seized and disposed of at the owner’s expense. North Las Vegas also strictly prohibits the outdoor burning of combustible refuse.
• Pahrump Valley: All outdoor burning is completely prohibited from May 15 through November 1.

Public lands & wildlife refuges

• U.S. Forest Service (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area): Campfires are restricted strictly to agency-provided pits in developed sites. Additionally, operating chainsaws or other equipment powered by an internal combustion engine is prohibited between 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. while fire restrictions are active.
• National Park Service: At Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, fires are never permitted. At Lake Mead National Recreation Area, wood or charcoal fires are limited to grills in developed, hosted areas or on shorelines located at least 100 feet away from natural vegetation.
• Nevada Division of Forestry: Applying to all state parks in Clark County, motorists operating in wildland areas are required to carry an ax, a shovel and at least one gallon of water in their vehicle.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Fires are entirely banned at the Moapa and Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuges. At the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, fires are only permitted within the provided fire rings at the Desert Pass Campground.

Note: Year-round restrictions enforced by agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also continue to prohibit the use of fireworks, explosive targets and tracer or steel-component ammunition on public lands.

The public is strongly encouraged to check specific boundaries and view a map of active restrictions by visiting NevadaFireInfo.org/restrictions.