Bonfires

image from here

Here's a question posed by a reader:

"I am a resident of Mesa and was curious to know if there are any places for bonfires. With the change of weather it would be awesome. Any help would be great."

Well Reader, here is my answer:

When I was little, it seemed like we had bonfires all the time in our side yard. Times have changed and now the family usually has smaller fires for roasting hot-dogs and making smores. But if you desire a real BONFIRE, here is what the Mesa Fire Department had to say:

Any household can have a bonfire or open pit fire at their home as long as they have a permit from the fire department. In order to receive a permit you must call 480.644.2101. You must allow at least 48 hours notice. And although you may be given a permit you must still follow the Maricopa County no burn days. Even if you have a permit for a specific day and the county deems it a no burn day, you cannot burn. Check here for pollution restrictions.

For fires in the desert, if the area is in Mesa city limits and is not private property, you can get a permit to burn in the desert. For areas outside Mesa, you would need to contact that county or that city for a permit and their codes.

You can only burn wood. You cannot burn trash or grass clippings. They also said to not start your fire using newspaper as kindling as it will create embers that can easily fly to your neighbors yard and house.

If you would like to have a bonfire in an already cleared, safe location, try Usery Park.

So readers, I hope that helps and if you have anymore wonderful questions, just ask.