Prescribed fire projects planned for Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest plans to conduct several prescribed fires over the coming weeks while weather conditions are favorable.
Seasonal prescribed burns will kick off if conditions are within the ranges outlined in the burn plan the morning of April 26 on the Flagstaff Ranger District (FRD) with the Horseshoe Burn Project.
The Horseshoe project covers 1,016 acres north of the San Francisco Peaks. During the burn smoke impacts will be felt southwest of the burn site. Later in the evening, smoke impacts will shift to the northeast. There are no anticipated road or trail closures due to the project.
Prescribed burn information can always be accessed in several ways:
- Via InciWeb at inciweb.wildfire.gov. All projects will be detailed under the "Coconino National Forest prescribed fire (Spring 2023)" page.
- On Twitter at @CoconinoNF
- On Facebook - search "U.S. Forest Service - Coconino National Forest"
- Via news releases. Subscribe to Coconino National Forest news releases by visiting coconinonationalforest.us, and then clicking the "Get News Via Email" link under the "Stay Connected" header
Prescribed burns are always dependent upon weather and wind conditions, as well as approval from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). The public can view approved prescribed burns on ADEQ’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov. Coconino National Forest burns begin with the designator “COF.”
During prescribed burns, smoke will be visible from several areas across the forest. Please refrain from contacting dispatch or 911 to report prescribed burn smoke so lines can remain open for emergencies.
The Forest Service’s 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy aims to increase prescribed burning and other treatments across the landscape to improve forest resiliency for generations to come. With that work comes more smoke which can have an impact on both the public and our responders.
We recognize that smoke impacts can affect residents and visitors in addition to our fire personnel. We will continue to coordinate closely with partners and communities to keep people informed about projects and potential smoke. Affected communities can learn more at airnow.gov.
Prior to conducting prescribed burns, the Coconino National Forest follows steps outlined in the agency-wide National Prescribed Fire Review. These steps include items such as validating and updating prescribed burn plans with the most recent science and modeling, incorporating new drought monitoring data, ensuring the patrol plan and long-term patrol strategy is documented and communicating and involving landowners, cooperators, elected officials and partners as we implement prescribed fires.
Prescribed burns are an important part of maintaining forest health. For more information on why prescribed burns are conducted and how they benefit the landscape and help protect communities, please visit our Prescribed Fire and Forest Health webpage.
