Flagstaff, AZ (November 1, 2011) – Coconino National Forest fire managers on the Mogollon Rim District plan to continue prescribed fire efforts on the Victorine Project near Blue Ridge Wednesday. No prescribed burns are planned for the Flagstaff area, however, residual smoke from the Eastside Project will likely be noticeable.
Today, Forest Service and Flagstaff Fire Department crews combined efforts to conduct the 250-acre Eastside prescribed burn, located between I-40 and Old Walnut Canyon Rd. Smoke has been noticeable on I-40 and in the Doney Park area. Today’s steady winds are forecast to continue through the night, and will help continue dispersing smoke away from the communities. If winds become light, overnight smoke will settle in Doney Park and possibly the Continental neighborhood. Residual smoke will be noticeable in the burn area for the next couple days.
Fire managers cancelled the Fort Valley prescribed burn planned for today, and will be watching for opportunities later in the week.
For Wednesday, November 2:
Victorine Project: 500 acres of broadcast burning southeast of the community of Blue Ridge, approximately 10 miles north of Knoll Lake. Smoke will disperse to the north and may be noticeable on Hwy 87 and in the Blue Ridge community.
Prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather – including winds and ventilation, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
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.
In addition, the Coconino National Forest coordinates prescribed fire plans with the partners of the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council (which includes local fire departments), as well as neighboring forests, to reduce the impact of smoke on the communities.
The public can obtain additional prescribed fire information via the following:
- Prescribed Fire Hotline: 928-226-4607
- Coconino National Forest Website: www.fs.fed.us/r3/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
