RENO - Faced with extreme drought conditions and potential for another big wildfire season, federal officials banned campfires and smoking outside of vehicles Friday across more than 8 million acres of northern Nevada.
The new prohibitions issued by the Bureau of Land Management cover 8.5 million acres of BLM lands from near Gerlach north of Reno to Battle Mountain, BLM spokesman Dave Murphy said from Winnemucca.
Fires, camp fires and most stove fires are banned outside of developed recreation sites. Stove fires are allowed to continue if they use gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel.
Smoking is allowed only within an enclosed vehicle or at a developed recreation site. The use of explosives or fireworks is prohibited unless a special permit is obtained from the BLM.
The ban covers the BLM's entire Winnemucca District, reaching as far as the Elko County border in the northeast. It includes all of Humboldt and Pershing counties, the northwest one-fourth of Churchill County and a portion of northern Washoe County, Murphy said.
Anyone who violates the ban could be subject to up to 12 months in prison.
The BLM already has forecast above-normal fire potential this summer, a year after nearly 2 million acres of Nevada range burned in last year's record fire season.
''The potential exists for a significant number of large fires, similar to last year,'' the BLM said in a statement Friday.
''Most areas in Nevada are experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions. Live plant moistures in pinyon-juniper and sagebrush are extremely low for this time of year.''
Recent surveys also indicate the cheatgrass is drying two to three weeks ahead of last year's rate.
''Public lands in the Winnemucca District have a relatively continuous fire fuel bed, which is capable of carrying fires over long distances.''
The Forest Service announced Friday it also intends to implement campfire fire restrictions effective July 17 for all national forest lands below 7,000 feet that are outside of developed recreation sites within the boundaries of the Carson Ranger District.