Alpine Ranger District
Fire managers plan to begin the Nutri 2 prescribed fire on Sunday, Oct. 22, and continue until Saturday, Nov. 11 depending on conditions throughout this timeframe. The 1,159-acre Nutri 2 project is on the Alpine Ranger District 4 ½ miles southwest of Nutrioso and 6 ½ miles northwest of Alpine. Temporary smoke impacts are expected in Nutrioso. Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/.
The project area boundaries are east of Forest Road 88B, and west of Forest Road 581. The south boundary is north of the previous Nutri 2 RX from the spring (581B Rd).
Crews are currently assessing weather and fuel conditions to determine whether they are within the criteria outlined in the prescribed burn plan. The project will be canceled if fuel moisture, temperature, wind, or humidity are not within the burn plan prescription. Multi-day prescribed fire operations require a daily assessment of conditions and line officer approval before operations can continue.
In addition, the 2,137-acre Whiting prescribed fire is expected to continue through the weekend. Previous notification was given about this prescribed fire on October 13.
Prescribed fires are an effective tool for restoring fire-dependent ecosystems and reducing the risk of high-severity wildfires. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Landscape treatments such as these planned on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape and other treatments to improve forest health.
Visit the A-S National Forests website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf and follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs.