Continuing Prescribed Fire activity planned on the Lakeside Ranger District

Fire managers plan to continue prescribed fire operations on the Lakeside Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests beginning January 15 through January 17, 2025, as weather and vegetation conditions allow for successful operations.

The Marsh Polishing Ponds 3 & 4 prescribed broadcast burn contains 9.31 acres, and is located directly north of Show Low, Arizona and southwest of Pintail Lake,  The project units are located west along State Route 77 and south of National Forest Road 9701M.  The project is a cooperative effort with the City of Show Low.

The objective of this prescribed fire project is to reduce hazardous fuel accumulations, minimize the risk of high-severity wildfires, and return the landscape to a more fire-resistant condition, aligning with the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to reduce wildfire risk to people, communities, and natural resources while sustaining and restoring healthy, resilient fire-adapted forests.

Fire managers will be monitoring weather conditions leading up to, during, and after implementation to ensure conditions are favorable. If conditions allow, the general public should expect to see smoke from the City of Show Low, Town of Pinetop-Lakeside, Communities of Pinedale, Clay Springs and Vernon, along State Routes 77 and 260 and U.S. Highway 60.  Smoke could last for several days after initial ignitions take place but should be significantly less each day afterwards. 

We recognize that smoke can impact residents, visitors, and our fire personnel. We will continue to coordinate closely with our partners and communities to minimize smoke impacts as much as possible. The department’s Air Quality Division: Smoke Management webpage provides details about its air quality program. When smoke impacts are present, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality recommends that smoke sensitive individuals should reduce physical activity and stay indoors with windows and doors closed. For those who are unable to avoid smoke exposure, use of a particulate-filtering respirator mask can help. Real-time mapping of smoke and other air quality impacts is available at fire.airnow.gov. 

Visit the A-S National Forests website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs.