Prescott National Forest

USDA Forest Service and its tribal, state, and local partners are taking steps to reduce the risk of wildfires, keep communities safe and landscapes resilient.  While land management agencies prepare for wildfires throughout the year, Wildfire Awareness Week is a reminder for homeowners to prepare year-round and take this time to reduce flammable material around homes and communities before a fire occurs. 

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to burn debris piles near the community of Groom Creek. Ignitions are planned to start on Thursday, March 11 and continue through Friday, March 12, pending favorable weather conditions.  Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light in the surrounding areas. Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface and increases ecosystem and community resilience.

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to burn debris piles in the area of Groom Creek. Ignitions are planned to start on, Thursday March 11th and continue through Friday, March 12th if conditions remain favorable. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light in the surrounding areas. Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to the wildland urban interface and increase ecosystem and community resilience.

Pine engraver beetles are actively infesting ponderosa pine trees across areas of the Prescott National Forest. Aerial detection surveys conducted by the US Forest Service in early February 2021 recorded a ten-fold increase in ponderosa pine mortality caused by these bark beetles since August 2020 with more than 2,000 acres impacted. The 2021 survey focused on Mingus Mountain, the Bradshaw Mountains, and the Crown King area. Most tree mortality was observed in the Bradshaw Mountains, but elevated mortality was also mapped on Mingus Mountain.

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District will begin implementing the Pipeline RX starting as early as Monday, March 1st and continuing through Saturday, March 6th.  Firefighters plan to treat 700 acres near the community of Groom Creek (T13N, R2W, SEC 27,28,33,34) when conditions are favorable; including air quality, wind direction and weather forecasts. 

 Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to continue burning piles within the Prescott Basin (Senator Highway, Copper Basin, Walker Road and Deering Park), pending favorable weather conditions.  Ignitions will start on Tuesday, February 16th and continue through Friday, February 19th if conditions remain favorable.  Fire personnel continued to monitor previous ignitions form last week with totaled approximately 105 acres.  Smoke impacts are expected to be light in the surrounding areas.

Update Feb. 16, 2021: Fire managers on the Verde Ranger District have cancelled the Crater Prescribed Burn until conditions are more favorable.

Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to burn piles within the Prescott Basin (Senator Highway, Copper Basin, Walker Road and Deering Park). Ignitions will be starting on Friday, February 5th and continue through Friday, February 12th if conditions remain favorable. Fire managers expect smoke impacts to be light in the surrounding areas. Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to the wildland urban interface and increase ecosystem and community resilience.

Fire Managers on the Verde Ranger District plan to take advantage of the moisture received last week and burn 80 acres of piles on Thursday, February 4th.  Piles are located west of the community of Cherry and north of Powell Springs Campground (T14N, R2E, Sec 18).  Fire managers expect smoke impacts to the community of Cherry to be light.  Pile burning helps to reduce hazardous fuels adjacent to the wildland urban interface and increase ecosystem and community resilience. 

The Sour Fire, which was reported on Sunday, January 17, 2021 is now 100% contained.  Yesterday, the fire received rain bringing much-needed moisture to the interior of the fire.  Firefighters plan to patrol and monitor the fire as very little interior heat remains with minimal smoke.  

There have been two unrelated wildfires on the Prescott National Forest in the past few weeks.  Once again, we would like to remind the public that a wildfire can happen at any time of year and that abandoned campfires are still the leading cause of human-caused wildfires.