BLM plans prescribed burns in Yavapai and Maricopa counties

The Bureau of Land Management’s Phoenix District is planning prescribed burning operations to burn cut and piled brush from public lands in Yavapai and Maricopa counties. Burning may occur over multiple days between January and March as conditions allow.  

In Yavapai County, BLM fire personnel will burn 200 acres of cut and piled juniper brush along the Indian Creek drainage in the Agua Fria National Monument, about six miles east of Cordes Lakes. They will also burn 39 acres of juniper piles about three miles east of Skull Valley. In Maricopa County, crews will burn a one-acre pile on the east side of Lake Pleasant, about three miles north of State Route 74.   

To ensure public safety, BLM firefighters will ignite the piles only when weather conditions are conducive to safely burning. They will remain on scene to monitor public and resource safety. Area residents may see some light smoke during the burn operation. No local road closures are expected.  

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 provided funding for this prescribed burn. The legislation funds fuel treatments to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and benefit neighboring communities. Thinning and burning juniper that has encroached into grasslands also helps open wildlife corridors, reduce predator cover, and improve wildlife forage. 

For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist, Chris Wonderly, at 623-580-5520, or [email protected].