Tonto National Forest firefighters will begin a two-day, 2-acre prescribed fire on the Mesa Ranger District beginning Jan. 24.
Firefighters will burn piles containing dead brush and limbs to reduce hazardous fuels in high-use administrative sites and recreational areas near the Lower Salt River, Saguaro Ranch, Tortilla Flat and Canyon Lake.
Removal of these ground fuels will improve three watersheds: the Lower Salt River along with Saguaro and Canyon Lakes. Prescribed fires aid watersheds by reducing the risk of large-scale wildland fires. Burned watersheds are prone to...