Camp Verde AZ (March 10, 2016) – Fire managers plan to burn slash piles today located approximately nine miles east of McGuireville, near Cedar Flat.
The Cedar Flat Wildlife and Watershed Enhancement Project will burn approximately 700 acres in the Cedar Flat area near Forest Road 214. Smoke is expected to rise about 1,000 feet and move south as it dissipates. Smoke will be visible to those in surrounding communities such as Camp Verde, McGuireville and motorists along Interstate 17 traveling near the area. Areas such as Verde Valley may experience light smoke impacts.
All prescribed burns are dependent upon weather conditions, personnel availability and forest conditions and can be cancelled and rescheduled for a later time.
The Forest Service seeks opportunities to use slash from thinning projects around the community instead of burning it – it is often used as filler at the landfill and offered as firewood to community members. However, no matter how many mechanical means the Forest Service employs to restore forests, fire is a natural and necessary part of this ecosystem, and a restoration tool that cannot be replaced by any mechanical means.
Forests need the frequent, low-intensity fire to remove accumulated smaller fuels and recycle nutrients into the soils to promote healthy vegetation and wildlife habitat. A healthier forest is a safer forest for firefighters and residents when wildfires inevitably occur.
Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. The public can find this information online through several resources:
- Inciweb: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/unit/303/
- Twitter: twitter.com/CoconinoNF
- Coconino website: coconinonationalforest.us, (Under News and Events)
