Grand Canyon National Park

The Slate Fire, located 23 miles northwest of Flagstaff along both the east and west sides of Highway 180, is now at 6,248 acres and 17 percent containment.

Windy and active wildfire conditions, along with burnout operations, are the main factors in the growth of the fire, which is still moving in a northeastern direction.

Kaibab National Forest fire managers will be continuing work on the Reed Prescribed Fire project located on the Tusayan Ranger District approximately 3 miles northeast of the town of Tusayan beginning Monday of next week.

Crews will begin ignitions on a 117-acre unit near the junction of forest roads 9121G and 9121GA northeast of the Ten X Ranch. Additional units may be burned into the week ahead providing weather conditions remain favorable to achieve desired effects that meet land management objectives.

Beginning April 17, National Park Service and USDA Forest Service fire managers, working together as the North Zone Interagency Fire Management Program, anticipate initiating prescribed burns on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Over the next several weeks fire managers will be assessing weather, fuel moistures, and other conditions for opportunities to conduct burns safely and effectively.