Flagstaff Ranger District

 The Flagstaff Ranger District is planning three hand pile burns starting tomorrow in conjunction with forecasted snowy weather. These operations will burn piled material remaining from previous mechanical treatments both north and south of the Flagstaff metropolitan area.

Several prescribed burns are scheduled this week across the forest in areas north and south of Flagstaff that will produce smoke visible to visitors in the area and motorists traveling Interstate 17 near the Stoneman Lake exit.
 
These burns are conducted to aid forest restoration and maintain areas to keep forest fuels from accumulating, which help mitigate extreme wildfire behavior. In turn, these burns ultimately help keep communities safer and can help firefighters suppress wildfires in the area by keep extreme wildfire behavior from occurring.