wildfire

Location:

• Approximately 5 miles northwest of Superior, burning in the Superstition Wilderness

• Nearest town is Superior, Arizona

Fire managers with the Coconino National Forest are making use of a lightning-caused fire to benefit the landscape and maintain a healthy ecosystem by allowing the fire to fulfill its natural role and consume forest debris.

Grand Canyon National Park fire managers anticipate initiating prescribed pile burning this week as weather and fuel moisture conditions allow. As part of the South Rim Piles Project, they will burn 3,500 piles of woody debris east and west of South Entrance Road and south of Highway 64 (Desert View Drive) East. These 5'x5'x5' piles are comprised of slash left after mechanical thinning or cutting of trees within the 150 acre project area, and are being burned as part of a key objective of the project, which is to reduce the fuel load.

The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management announces the release of a new mobile phone application that provides local fire and forestry information to the user.

The application offers wildland fire information, fire restriction notifications and details, fire prevention tips, Office of the State Fire Marshal’s plans and payment portal, and forest health related information.

It also allows users to sign up for push alerts that will send notifications of any critical information, such as fires near their area, fire restrictions, even forest health concerns.

Fire managers for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Arizona Strip District are planning to burn slash debris piles located 65 miles south of St. George, Utah near Mt. Trumbull. Depending upon conditions, the burns will begin early March 2019 and last through mid-April 2019 if weather and fuel conditions allow.  The burns are intended to decrease future wildfire risk and protect cultural and natural resources.

Smoke from wildfires in northern Arizona is impacting several communities in Coconino County. The Coconino County Public Health Services District is encouraging individuals to take precautions to protect themselves from the health effects of wildfire smoke.

Many factors influence a person’s susceptibility to smoke. These factors include the level, extent, and duration of exposure, age, and individual susceptibility. Not everyone who is exposed to smoke will have health problems.

A new lightning-caused wildfire has ignited on the Williams Ranger District on the south side of Sitgreaves Mountain. It is currently burning in steep terrain within the 2014 Sitgreaves wildfire burn scar.

The Bald Fire is currently burning in ponderosa pine and does have the potential to expand over the next several days as monsoon moisture is forecasted to temporarily subside. An engine crew was on scene the day of discovery on July 22 and will continue to monitor fire behavior daily taking appropriate actions as necessary.

Continuing monsoonal moisture has allowed fire officials on the Kaibab National Forest to consider two new lightning caused wildfires on the Tusayan Ranger District for the potential of benefiting forest health objectives and community protection.

 Coconino County will lift fire restrictions above the North Rim of the Grand Canyon effective immediately. This region received significant moisture during the last week, decreasing fire risk.

Effective Tuesday, July 17, 2018 beginning at 12:00 A.M. - Stage 2 Fire Restrictions will be lifted on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.  Fire danger is “moderate” and a monsoonal weather pattern is predicted to continue across the Reservation this week.