forest

The Flagstaff Ranger District plans to conduct five pile burn projects that are scattered across the district, but mostly north of Flagstaff, beginning tomorrow (Feb. 23) and continuing through Friday.

These projects are comprised of very large piles of forest materials from previous mechanical treatments, which are best burned in conditions that are predicted over the next several days where adequate snowfall is present. Having a good base of snow around the piles allows fire managers easier control and keeps fire from moving beyond the intended target.

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District will continue to burn debris piles near Walker, Ponderosa Park/White Spar, Copper Basin, Lynx Lake and Thumb Butte.  Ignitions are planned to start on Monday, January 31, 2022, and continue through Monday, February 28, 2022, as favorable weather conditions allow.  Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light in the surrounding areas.  During the month of January fire fighters burned over 1,000 acres of piles in the Prescott basin. 

Tonto National Forest fire specialists are planning broadcast burns at two separate locations on the Pleasant Valley Ranger District beginning Jan. 24-28, 2022.

Fire specialists will burn 110 acres of vegetative debris piles in and around Nail Ranch.

Residents and visitors to Nail Ranch area can expect to see and smell light-to-moderate amounts of smoke during the five-day operation. Smoke will impact these two communities during the day. During the evening, smoke will affect Frog Pond and Nail Ranch as well as Q Ranch due to cold, inert winter air.

The Flagstaff Ranger District is planning three hand pile burns starting tomorrow which will burn piled material remaining from previous mechanical treatments both north and south of the Flagstaff metropolitan area.

The Alpine Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is planning to begin the Pace Creek Pile Burning project on January 5th through the end of February. Piles consist of leftover debris from recent timber sales, as well as slash deposited in the community burn pit. All ignitions are weather dependent.

Prescribed fire pile burning will commence across the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest for the remainder of this month on both the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts. 

Winter weather with forecasted snow present excellent opportunities every year for fire crews to burn and consume piled slash and woody debris left over from previous forest restoration projects.

For the month of December, approximately 450 acres of piles near Tusayan are planned for burning with an additional 60 acres on the Williams Ranger District.

Prescribed fire operations will continue in the week ahead on both the Tusayan and Williams Ranger Districts at three project locations on the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest.