Fire managers on the Prescott National Forest, Bradshaw Ranger District plan to burn piles of debris in and around the Prescott Basin. Ignitions are planned to start on Friday, March 7, and continue through March 31 as favorable weather conditions allow. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Chino Valley, and surrounding areas.

Coconino National Forest fire managers with the Flagstaff Ranger District plan to conduct pile burns today and tomorrow in several areas around the forest to take advantage of favorable weather conditions.

The piles to be burned are leftover slash from previous thinning projects and are ignited using drip torches and carefully monitored. Burning these piles help remove forest fuels and reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfire.

After consultation with Coconino County Emergency Management (CCEM), Forest Lakes Fire District, and the United States Forest Service (USFS), areas of Coconino County within the boundaries of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest will enter Stage 1 Fire Restrictions at 8 a.m. Friday, February 28, 2025.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) continues its ongoing efforts to protect Arizona’s residents and critical infrastructure with two fuels reduction projects in Yavapai County.

Ruger Ranch Phase 2
The 2,500-acre Ruger Ranch Phase 2 fuels reduction project spans north of Peeples Valley, southwest of Kirkland Junction, and west of SR 89.

On February 11, 2025 the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA), working in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), confirmed Arizona’s first identified H5N1 avian influenza detection in milk produced by a dairy herd in Maricopa County. As a protective measure, the facility is currently under quarantine. Unlike other detections involving B3.13 H5N1, cattle have not yet displayed signs of illness with this particular D1.1, but if clinical symptoms become evident, cattle will be isolated from the main herd.