FlagstaffAZ (December 12, 2011) – Pending favorable conditions, the Coconino National Forest and Arizona State Forestry (agencies in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council) are planning to conduct prescribed pile burns tomorrow, Tuesday December 13.
Arizona State Forestry
Contact: Bruce Banke, 928-774-1425
Arizona State Forestry will be burning approximately 80 acres of slash piles located north of Hwy 89A and MCS Stables, west of Ft. Tuthill. The forecast snowstorm and winds will minimize smoke impacts on Flagstaff.
For additional information, contact Arizona State Forestry at 928-774-1425.
Coconino National Forest
Contact: Brienne Magee, 928-527-8290
Mogollon Rim Miscellaneous Piles: 10 acres located just east of the community of Blue Ridge, east of Hwy 87. Smoke will disperse to the north with little to no overnight smoke production.
Peaks Miscellaneous Piles: 10 acres located at the Flagstaff Hotshot Ranch north of Flagstaff, east of Hwy 180 off Snowbowl Road. Smoke will be noticeable from Hwy 180 and Snowbowl road and will disperse to the northeast. Some residual smoke will settle in the area overnight.
Additional Coconino National Forest prescribed fire information can be obtained by the following means.
- Prescribed Fire Hotline: 928-226-4607
- Coconino National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/coconino
- Click on the Prescribed Fire icon to the right of the page
- Sign-up for regular email notifications of planned burns: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription
- Choose “Southwestern Region”
- Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF
- Local Ranger Stations: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866; Red Rock Ranger District (Sedona) 928-203-2900; Mogollon Rim Ranger District (Blue Ridge) 928-477-2255
Fire managers make every effort to minimize smoke impacts to the communities while continuing to address the critical need to reduce the risk of severe wildfires around those communities. Tactics to keep smoke impacts as minimal as possible include cancelling burns when conditions aren’t favorable, finding alternative uses for the debris in slash piles, timing ignitions to allow the majority of smoke time to disperse prior to settling overnight, and burning larger sections at a time when conditions are favorable to reduce the overall number of days smoke is in the area.