Tonto National Forest firefighters will begin a two-day, prescribed pile burn on the Mesa Ranger District beginning Jan. 31.
Firefighters will burn piles containing dead brush and limbs to reduce hazardous fuels from administrative sites and recreational areas near the Lower Salt River, Saguaro Ranch, Tortilla Flat and Canyon Lake.
Reducing these hazardous fuels from high-use recreation areas can help to limit the threat of wildfires to infrastructure and other values at risk. In addition, burning piles mitigates potential smoke impacts to the area by reducing the amount and...