Prescribed fires planned November 3 - 29 on the Verde Ranger District
Fire managers on the Verde Ranger District plan to use ground and aerial resources to treat fuels at two locations in the Mingus Mountain area between Sunday, November 3 and Friday, November 29.
Descriptions:
- Crater RX (T14N, R3E, Sec 19,20,21,28,29,30,31,32,33) – is a 2,805 acre burn, two miles north of HWY 169, four miles northwest of I-17, and one mile south of Cherry. Vegetation is primarily brush and grass, with small areas of juniper and ponderosa pine.
- Grapevine/Strawberry RX (T14N, R2E, Sec 2,3,4,8,9,10,12,13,14,15,16) – is a 7,144 acre burn, five miles north of HWY 169, five miles southeast of HWY 89A, six miles northeast of Dewey, and five miles northwest of Cherry. Vegetations is primarily brush and grass, with areas of ponderosa pine.
Expect smoke impacts to be light to moderate and visible from multiple locations including Verde Valley, Cherry, Dewey-Humbolt, Prescott and surrounding areas.
The objective of these prescribed burns is to improve conditions for native vegetation by reducing shrub and juniper fuel loading. Fire managers are closely monitoring weather and fuels conditions with equal attention to the wildfire activity and firefighting resources on the Prescott National Forest as well the resource availability of nearby wildland fire partner agencies.
Prescribed fires on National Forest System lands may only be implemented when the conditions at the project site meet the objectives and criteria outlined in the prescribed burn plan. These criteria include acceptable ranges for wind, humidity, fuel moisture, and temperature. Implementation also depends on the availability of personnel and equipment; conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible; and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov). If any of the conditions are outside the prescription, the prescribed fire will not be implemented. The Forest Service is fully committed to using this critical tool safely and effectively in collaboration with the tribes, partners, and area communities.
In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
Messages will be posted on social media when prescribed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrescottNF
For fire information please call (928) 777-2200; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
Maps of the Crater and Grapevine/Strawberry prescribed fires:
