Prescribed fires planned on Verde Ranger District
Fire Managers on the Verde Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed fire operation in the Agua Fria area this week. The project is located between Dugas Road and HWY 169 on the east side of I-17. (See attached map). Ignitions are planned to start Wednesday, April 30 and last just one day, pending suitable conditions. Fire crews plan to treat a large surface area with broadcast burning to improve wildlife habitat and range improvements by reducing brush encroachment in the Aqua Fria grasslands.
The unit totals 972 acres and mainly consists of grass fuels. Smoke will be visible from I-17, Highway 69, Highway 169 and the communities of Dewey/Humboldt, and Arcosanti/Cordes Junction. Smoke is expected to be light throughout the ignition period and should dissipate quickly after ignitions are complete.
The following burn is planned:
- Hooker North RX - 972 acres
Ignitions will depend upon agency administrator approval and conditions within the ranges outlined in burn plans. Burn plans consider temperature, humidity, wind, moisture of the vegetation and conditions for dispersal of smoke.
Prescribed fires are utilized to remove hazardous fuels and return nutrients to the soil when seasonal weather opportunities allow for the use of fire safely and effectively. Reducing hazardous fuels will help reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property, and communities.
In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed burn as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
Prescott National Forest’s land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and the strategy includes reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Using low to moderate fire behavior, we can better protect communities, while improving watersheds, wildlife habitat, and forest health.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather, fuels, and conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
Messages will be posted on social media when prescribed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
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