Fire crews from the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts of the Kaibab National Forest have completed prescribed fire operations on the 1340 acre Reed Rx project near Tusayan. Work will begin on the 4200 acre Marteen Rx project starting Monday May 8th. The Marteen project is located five miles northwest of Spring Valley, east of Red Hill.
Fire Managers recognize the inconvenience that overnight smoke caused visitors and residents of Tusayan over the past several mornings, and again would like to thank the Tusayan Mayor, Council members and staff, the Tusayan Fire Department, and the entire community for the support received while completing final treatments on this critical piece of ground.
As the Marteen burn begins, smoke will be visible from Highway 180, State Route 64 near Howard Mesa, Valle, Red Lakes, and Spring Valley. Smoke is expected to transport northeast throughout the day, and then may settle on scene over night until sunrise when surface warming will lift residual smoke away. This project is expected to be completed in approximately 3 days.
Spring time weather patterns present unique opportunities for beneficial prescribed burning that help managers reach land management objectives while minimizing smoke impacts. Early seasonal breezes typically move smoke away from sensitive areas rapidly which often prove to be more challenging at other times of the year.
Exact ignition dates and specific locations are subject change as burning is dependent upon daily conditions that meet specific prescription parameters. All prescribed fires are subject to approval by an agency administrator, and by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The department’s Air Quality Division: Smoke Management webpage provides details about its air quality program. To learn more about smoke and public health, visit bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness.
The Kaibab National Forest remains committed to providing the public with ongoing updates with as much advance notice as possible. Sign up to receive Kaibab NF news releases in your email.
Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires help reduce hazardous fuels that have accumulated due to drought, climate change, insects and disease, and decades of fire suppression. Fire also recycles nutrients back to the soil, promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants, and improves habitat for threatened and endangered species. These efforts align with the Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy which aims to increase prescribed fire and other treatments to improve forest resiliency for generations to come.
Additional information can be found on the Kaibab NF website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or by calling the Fire Information Hotline at 928-635-8311 or contacting local ranger stations.