Doyle and Ortega prescribed fire projects planned on the Lakeside Ranger District
The Lakeside Ranger District plans to conduct prescribed fire operations on the Lakeside Ranger District during the Fall months of 2024. Prescribed fire operations could start any time between October 8 through November 30, as weather and vegetation conditions allow for successful operations. Fire managers will be monitoring weather conditions leading up to, during, and after implementation to ensure conditions are favorable.
The Lakeside East burn units consist of the Doyle burn unit (290 acres), and the Ortega burn unit (1,773 acres). Both are located directly to the southwest of Vernon, AZ. The unit boundaries are along Forest Road 44, Forest Road 3D, Forest Road 45E, Forest Road 45C3, and Forest Road 9900L.
This landscape treatment is a cooperative effort with Arizona Game and Fish, Vernon Fire Department, Timber Mesa Fire Department, Arizona State Forestry, Pinetop Fire Department, and the City of Show Low. Landscape treatments 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.
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. All prescribed fires on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are subject to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. 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.
