Firefighters to burn piles near Williams on Friday

As part of continuing efforts to reduce hazardous fuels and prevent catastrophic wildfires, Kaibab National Forest firefighters are planning to conduct pile burns on about 700 acres near Williams on Friday. These piles are located near Clover Road and along I-40, and weather conditions are expected to result in some smoke impacts on the highway and in town.

“We appreciate everyone’s understanding as we work to make the Kaibab more fire-resilient, and protect local communities from the threat of wildfire,” Williams District Ranger Debra Mollet said. “Every pile we burn represents tons of fuel that will not be available to drive future destructive wildfires.”

There are no formal area closures, but the public is asked to avoid areas of the forest where firefighters are actively burning piles. Keep an eye out for signs advising of prescribed fire activity, and be sure to drive with extra caution wherever firefighters are working or where smoke is present.

Thinning and pile burning reduces the buildup of hazardous fuels in the forest. Mechanized equipment and hand logging techniques are used to cut and pile brush, saplings, and small trees. When fuel and weather conditions permit safe burning, firefighters will then ignite the piles. All prescribed burning is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For more information or to review prescribed burn authorizations, visit https://smoke.azdeq.gov.

Additional fire information for the Kaibab National Forest can be obtained through the following sources:

Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311

Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF