The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department will put into effect its annual ban of open fires in the city's desert parks and mountain preserves starting May 1.

The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department's annual fire ban goes into effect the same day.

Smoking and charcoal fires are included in the ban “due to the extreme fire danger that the combination of low humidity, increased temperatures, excessive dry vegetation and frequent high winds create each spring,” officials stated in a release.

The ban applies to Camelback Mountain, Deem Hills Recreation Area, Lookout Mountain, Papago Park, Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area, Phoenix Mountains Preserve, Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, North Mountain Park, Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area and South Mountain Park/Preserve.

The ban does not apply to the city’s flatland parks, according to the release.

Here is what the ban includes:

• Open wood and charcoal fires are prohibited.
• Propane or gas grills may be used but only in established picnic areas.

The following activities are prohibited year-round:

• Smoking outside enclosed vehicles.
• Fireworks.