Flagstaff

This week’s winter storms will likely have many desert dwellers heading to the high country to toss snowballs, make snow angels, sled, etc., etc. Have a great time if you’re among them, but leave prepared to spend extended time in frigid conditions and pack a fully charged cellphone and other safety essentials.  

Coconino National Forest firefighters plan to conduct pile burns starting today in several areas taking advantage of today's wind changes to prevent smoke impacts on our communities.
 
These burns are part of the thinning projects planned on the Flagstaff Ranger District, Mogollon Rim Ranger District and the Red Rock Ranger District this fall and are part of a strategy to allow fire treatment to protect watersheds and improve the safety of the communities around them.

If needed for safety, parts of I-40, I-17, other routes will close until snow abates

With a major winter storm forecast to create “very difficult to impossible” driving conditions in the high country from late Thursday until Friday morning, the Arizona Department of Transportation will close affected highways for safety until snowfall abates and roadways are safe for travel.

With extreme winter weather conditions approaching, many forest roads across Coconino National Forest will be closed through the weekend, beginning today, in order to keep visitors from getting stranded and also protect forest roads from damage.
 
This means gates will be swung and locked at the entrance of the closed forest roads, or signed barricades will be installed, letting the public know the road is closed.
 
Flagstaff Ranger District

Coconino National Forest firefighters plan to conduct prescribed burns next week in several areas that have been previously postponed due to earlier conditions that would have heavily impacted communities with smoke.
 

Coconino National Forest firefighters plan to conduct prescribed burns next week in areas that will lessen smoke impacts to surrounding communities.
 
These burns are among the prescribed burn projects planned for the Flagstaff Ranger District and the Mogollon Rim Ranger District this fall and are part of a strategy to allow fire across the landscape in order to restore forests to healthier conditions, protect watersheds and improve the safety of the communities around them.

Fire managers have canceled all prescribed burns across the Coconino National Forest today after considering the high winds forecast by the U.S. National Weather Service.

Firefighters will focus on ensuring any prescribed burns on the Coconino NF from earlier in the week remain within their operational boundaries today and will look at plans for resuming important prescribed burns next week.

Information about any prescribed burns planned for next week will be distributed tomorrow through a news release.

Coconino National Forest firefighters were planning to conduct prescribed burns today near the Fort Valley area and other areas north of Flagstaff later during the week, but those plans have been cancelled today due to unhealthy smoke impacts in Flagstaff and predicted northerly winds.

Coconino National Forest firefighters are planning to conduct a prescribed burn tomorrow south of Kachina Village and will continue other burn projects next week if weather conditions remain favorable.