Tonto National Forest

Update at 2/22/21 10:48 a.m.: Fire officials have postponed prescribed burns on the Pleasant Valley Ranger District due to unfavorable weather conditions. The burns were planned for the southeast side of the 512 Road (also known as the Young Road) between mileposts 315 and 318, Feb. 23-24. The prescribed fire treatments will be rescheduled for the following week pending optimal weather conditions.

For information updates contact the Payson/Pleasant Valley District Ranger Station at (928) 474-7900 or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Firefighters on the Payson Ranger District will be conducting several pile burns throughout the week of Feb. 15, 2021.

The purpose of these burns is to reduce the potential and severity of a wildfire for the safety of the public and the protection of natural resources. The following prescription pile burns are planned for:

The Tonto National Forest will be terminating the Bush Post Fire Flooding Public Safety Closure Order effective Friday, Feb. 5, 2021, at 8 a.m.

In mid-June of last year, the Bush Fire scorched almost 200,000 acres on the Mesa and Tonto Basin Ranger Districts in the Four Peaks Area. Following the fire, a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team conducted assessments to identify impacts and recommend actions for mitigating risk in and around the burned area.

The Payson Ranger District will be conducting a pile burn at the Geronimo Boy Scout Ranch Piles starting Thursday, Feb. 4-12, 2021.

The burn will consume approximately 30 acres of piles. Smoke impacts may occur during the day at the Geronimo Boy Scout Ranch and during the night at Geronimo Estates. Signs will be posted in these areas to alert the public of the operations. Residents and visitors to the area can expect to see and smell light-to-moderate amounts of smoke.

The Payson Ranger District will be conducting several pile burns today. Ignitions will occur in the Pine Pit, Chase Pit, Perley Pit, Pleasant Valley Pit, Gisela Pit, and near the Payson Ranger Station.

Signs will be posted in these areas to alert the public of the operations. Residents and visitors to the area can expect to see and smell light-to-moderate amounts of smoke.

Tonto National Forest officials are reminding recreational visitors to refrain from gathering in large groups in the Lower Sycamore dispersed recreation area for the annual Christmas Tree Burn event which usually occurs in early to mid-January.

This year, the Tonto National Forest is asking recreational visitors to refrain from gathering in large groups for the annual Christmas Tree Burn event that occurs annually in early to mid-January.

In the past, thousands of visitors have gathered for this unofficial event to burn their spent Christmas trees in the Lower Sycamore area while recreating on the Tonto National Forest. Due to a multitude of factors, forest officials ask that all future gatherings for Christmas tree burnings and disposal be discontinued on the Tonto National Forest.

 Tonto National Forest officials have modified the Bush Fire public safety area closure order to allow more access. The modified closure order will be in effect Thursday, Nov. 25, 8 a.m.

Tonto National Forest officials will lift the Griffin Fire public safety closure order at 8 a.m., Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

The Tonto National Forest in coordination with federal, state, and local partners will terminate the current Stage 1 Fire Restrictions and recreational shooting restriction effective Nov. 11, 2020 at 8 a.m. due to recent moisture, cooler temperatures and reduced fire activity.

The restrictions were implemented to reduce the risk of human-caused wildfires during periods of high fire danger and elevated fire weather conditions.