The Coconino National Forest has established this method of notifying you of planned and current fuels treatment activities on the forest. For confirmation or for more information, please visit our "Current Conditions" page of the Coconino National Forest web-site. You may click
this link http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/conditions/current-rx.shtml, or use the "shortcut" to our main page: www.coconinoforest.us
The Coconino County Health Department provides information about smoke concerns and offers suggestions for minimizing smoke impacts to your family and home at the following website http://www.coconino.az.gov/health.aspx?id=6564.
Coconino National Forest Plans Fall and Winter Prescribed Burning
Flagstaff, AZ – Coconino National Forest fire managers are preparing to continue prescribed burning as fall and winter conditions provide opportunities for applying low-intensity fire to the landscape.
Approximately 34,000 acres of prescribed fire treatments are planned across the forest. Acreages may not all be accomplished depending on how often and how long conditions are suitable. The chart below lists the areas and project names planned for this fall and winter.
These planned burns are part of an ongoing program to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels in northern Arizona. Members of the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council (PFAC) – comprised of federal, state, and local fire management agencies in the Flagstaff area – continue to collaborate not only on wildfires, but also on fuels treatment projects. PFAC partners coordinate individual prescribed burn times and locations to reduce local smoke impacts, and team-up on thinning and burning projects to allow for more work to be accomplished in a shorter amount of time.
The forest depends on low-intensity fire to reduce accumulated vegetation, enhance wildlife habitat, and recycle valuable nutrients into the soil. “Fire is natural and necessary, and will occur,” said Vic Morfin, Coconino National Forest Fuels Management Officer. “While prescribed burning will not eliminate the chances of wildfires, it reduces the likelihood of extreme behavior during an unplanned fire, creating a safer situation for the community and our firefighters.”
To accomplish these forest health goals, forest managers use two types of prescribed burns:
Broadcast burns involve applying fire across the forest floor. Small flames make their way along the surface consuming logs, branches, and accumulated leaves and needles while recycling nutrients back into the soil. Broadcast burns typically produce the most noticeable smoke.
Pile burns require more moisture in the surrounding vegetation and are usually conducted when snow is on the ground or after considerable rain. Piles consist of the slash from forest thinning projects, which includes small logs and branches. Pile burning usually produces less smoke than broadcast burns.
Prescribed burns are termed such because they are conducted within a “prescription” that defines the fuel moisture levels, air temperatures, wind conditions, and relative humidity levels that are appropriate.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather – including ventilation conditions, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
Fire managers continue to work closely with ADEQ, PFAC partners, as well as neighboring forests to monitor air quality and minimize smoke impacts to the community. “We strive to minimize smoke impacts to our communities,” said Morfin. “But smoke is inevitable. We encourage folks to learn where, when, and how prescribed burns are conducted so they can be better prepared to handle any impacts.”
Regular news releases will be distributed to local media with planned prescribed fire activity. The public can also obtain information via the following:
Prescribed Fire Hotline: 928-226-4607
Coconino National Forest Website: www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino
o Click on the Prescribed Fire Link to the right of the page
Sign-up to receive regular email notifications: http://www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription
o Choose “Southwestern Region”
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF_Fire
Local Ranger Stations: Peaks Ranger District (Flagstaff), 928-526-0866; Red Rock Ranger District (Sedona) 928-203-2900; Mogollon Rim Ranger District (Blue Ridge) 928-477-2255
Peaks and Mormon Lake Districts
| Project Name | Location | Approximate Acres |
| Peaks | ||
| Woody Ridge | Southwest of Flagstaff around the northern portion of FR 231 (Woody Mountain Road) | 2,000 |
| A-1 | Northwest of Flagstaff near A-1 Mountain, southwest of Fort Valley | 1,300 |
| Eastside | Around the east and southeast edges of Flagstaff | 1,700 |
| Fort Valley | Northwest of Flagstaff along Hwy 180 | 700 |
| Hart Prairie | North of Flagstaff and Fort Valley between Hwy 180 and the Kachina Peaks | 500 |
| Mars Hill | Northwest of Flagstaff on Observatory Mesa | 200 |
| Pete | North of the San Francisco Peaks along FR 410 | 900 |
| Mormon Lake | ||
| Kachina | Southwest of Flagstaff, west of I-17 near Kachina Village | 200 |
| Airport | South of Flagstaff near Pulliam Airport | 100 |
| Ritter | South of Flagstaff, between I-17 and Hwy 89 A, south of the Newman Park Exit. | 300 |
| Mountainaire | Southwest of Flagstaff, east of I-17 near Mountainaire | 3,500 |
| Mint | South of Mormon Lake | 2,000 |
Mogollon Rim Ranger District
| Project Name | Location | Approximate Acres |
| East Clear Creek | Between Knoll and Forest Road 300 (Rim Road) | 3,000 |
| Blue Ridge Urban Interface | Off Hwy 87 around the community of Blue Ridge | 2,000 |
| Bar-T-Bar | Northeast of the community of Blue Ridge, south of Hwy 87 near Red Hill | 3,000 |
| APS | East of Hwy 87 approximately 10 miles northeast of the Blue Ridge Ranger Station | 1,000 |
| Upper Beaver Creek | West of Forest Highway 3 (Lake Mary Rd) between Happy Jack and Stoneman Lake | 7,000 |
| Bald Mesa | Northeast of Clint’s Well, east of FH 3 | 1,500 |
Red Rock District
| Project Name | Location | Approximate Acres |
| Apache Maid | North of Hwy 260, east of Camp Verde near Stoneman Lake. | 3,000 |
| Oak Creek Canyon | Along Hwy 89A, north of Sedona | 100 |
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