Flagstaff AZ (November 15, 2019) – Coconino National Forest firefighters plan to conduct prescribed burns next week in several areas that have been previously postponed due to earlier conditions that would have heavily impacted communities with smoke.
These burns are among the prescribed burn projects planned for the Flagstaff Ranger District and the Mogollon Rim Ranger District this fall and are part of a strategy to allow fire treatment across the landscape in order to restore forests to healthier conditions, protect watersheds and improve the safety of the communities around them.
Frequent, low-intensity fire removes accumulated fuels and recycles nutrients in the soils to promote healthy vegetation and wildlife habitat. A healthier forest is a safer forest for firefighters and residents when wildfires inevitably occur.
The prescribed burn projects listed below are in chronological order and may occur on days other than noted, depending on favorable weather conditions. Firing ignitions for each of these projects begin around 10 a.m. on the mornings indicated.
Mint 4 & 5
- When: Monday (Nov. 18), depending on weather conditions and smoke impacts.
- Where: Flagstaff Ranger District. Approximately 31 miles south of Flagstaff, immediately south of Mormon Lake Village. GPS: 34.848744, -111.452362
- Size: 1,076 acres total, comprised of two areas of 322 acres and 754 acres.
- Duration: This will be a one-day operation.
- Method/Type of burn: This is a broadcast maintenance burn using drip torches. The burn operation will reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfire, improve forest health and protect private property.
- Smoke Impacts: Smoke is forecast is to move toward the west and southwest. Cooling temperatures in the evenings will cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas surrounding the burn, potentially effecting Bear Park, Mormon Lake Village and other communities near the Lake Mary Road corridor.
- Closures/Restrictions: None expected.
Victorine
- When: Monday, and possibly Tuesday (Nov. 18, 19).
- Where: Mogollon Rim Ranger District. Approximately 6.5 miles southeast of the Mogollon Rim Ranger District office, west of Leonard Canyon and east of Forest Road 137. GPS: 34.540829, -111.104980
- Size: 1,000 acres.
- Duration: This will be a one- or two-day burn operation.
- Type of Burn: This is a broadcast maintenance burn using drip torches. This burn operation will reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfire, protect private property, benefit wildlife habitat and improve forest health.
- Smoke Impacts: Daytime winds are forecast from the northeast. Smoke should lift and disperse toward the southwest of the project area over the Verde Valley during the day. Overnight smoke could settle in the local burn area, Blue Ridge communities, and will probably drain down East Clear Creek. Smoke may end up in the eastern side of the Verde Valley until daytime temperatures rise enough to lift the smoke into the transport winds.
- Closures/Restrictions: None expected.
Experimental Forest (Ft. Valley 1 & 4)
- When: Tuesday (Nov. 19).
- Where: Flagstaff Ranger District. Approximately 8 miles northwest of Flagstaff, near the Fort Valley Trailhead. GPS: 35.270153, -111.677685
- Size: 302 acres total, in two burn blocks of 261 acres and 41 acres.
- Duration: This is a one-day operation.
- Method/Type of burn: This is a broadcast maintenance burn using drip torches. The burn is an operation in partnership with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Center, Northern Arizona University and the Ecological Research Institute to study the effects of consistent return intervals of low-intensity fire.
- Smoke Impacts: With southwest wind predicted, smoke should move northeast toward Schultz Pass. Cooling temperatures in the evenings will cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas surrounding the burn, potentially impacting Doney Park, Baderville, Fort Valley, U.S. Highway 180 corridor and Rio de Flag river drainage.
- Closures/Restrictions: The Arizona National Scenic Trail will be rerouted during the burn operation for visitor’s safety.
Sawmill
- When: Wednesday (Nov. 20). This is an alternative prescribed burn for Bar-T-Bar, dependent on conditions.
- Where: Mogollon Rim Ranger District. Six miles south of Mormon Lake Village. North of Stoneman Lake Road on the east side of Lake Mary Road. GPS: 34.8177200, -111.4269700
- Size: 800 acres.
- Duration: This is a one-day operation.
- Method/Type of Burn: Broadcast maintenance burn using drip torches. The burn is being conducted to reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfire, improve forest health, and to protect private property.
- Smoke Impacts: Daytime winds are predicted to be out of the southwest, so smoke will lift disperse to the northeast of the project area with possible impacts to Winslow. Cooling temperatures in the evenings will cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas near Hutch Mountain.
- Closures/Restrictions: None expected. If smoke is on Lake Mary Road, traffic control may be used.
Bar-T-Bar
- When: Wednesday (Nov. 20). This is an alternative prescribed burn for Sawmill, dependent on conditions.
- Where: Mogollon Rim Ranger District. Fifteen miles southeast of Mormon Lake Village, north of Long Lake Road near Forest Road 126A. GPS: 34.820238, -111.219824
- Size: 800 acres.
- Duration: This is a one-day operation.
- Method/Type of Burn: Broadcast maintenance burn using drip torches. The burn is being conducted to reduce the chance of catastrophic wildfire, improve forest health, and to protect private property.
- Smoke Impacts: Daytime winds are predicted to be out of the southwest, so smoke will disperse to the northeast of the project area, possibly impacting Winslow. Cooling temperatures in the evenings will cause smoke to settle in the low-lying areas near Hutch Mountain.
- Closures/Restrictions: None expected. If smoke is on Lake Mary Road, traffic control may be used.
Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly by news releases throughout the season. Timely updates about ignitions and whether or not a project is cancelled can be found on the Forest’s social media sites:
