Kaibab National Forest Prepares for Prescribed Burning
WILLIAMS, Ariz. – As part of a continuing effort to improve forest health and return fire to the ecosystem; the Kaibab National Forest is getting ready for this season’s prescribed burning program. Part of that preparation is notifying the public about upcoming projects.
Prescribed fire is one tool managers use to lower the risk of severe wildfire. While this is an effective tool to reduce the potential for large wildfires, there is a trade-off, and that is dealing with smoke. First entry burns are implemented in areas where there has been no previous fire activity. These areas generally produce more smoke due to accumulated fuels whereas second entry or “maintenance” burns create less smoke. There are several maintenance burns in the project list below.
An important objective is to have less smoke under more favorable conditions with prescribed fire than heavy smoke during a wildfire. In order to manage smoke production and minimize impacts as much as possible, forest officials coordinate with the National Weather Service and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) before and during prescribed burns. Knowing the current and predicted weather helps managers adjust how and when the unit is ignited to allow for optimum smoke dispersal.
The ignition of all burns is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, appropriate conditions, and ADEQ approval. Fire managers follow a burn plan that outlines the “prescription” or environmental conditions such as temperature, wind, fuel moisture, ventilation, and relative humidity that need to be present before the project begins. When the criteria are met, crews implement, monitor, and patrol each burn to ensure it meets the goals and objectives outlined by managers.
The prescribed fire program may extend from August well into the winter. These are the projects on the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts that may occur this season. Maps are available upon request.
Williams Ranger District
City
– Up to 2014 acres total (broadcast burn) – south and southeast of Williams,
AZ
Twin
– Up to 1082 acres (maintenance burn) – south of Bill Williams Mtn.
Page 2
Dutch
– About 466 acres, (broadcast burn) - west of Bill Williams Mtn.
Spring
Valley – 179 acres in Spring Valley, 12 miles northeast of Williams, AZ
Frenchy/Pineaire
– Up to 979 acres total, (broadcast burn) near Parks and south of Parks
Government
Prairie – About 1780 acres, (maintenance burn), 17 miles northeast of
Williams, AZ
Kendrick
– 1453 acres southwest of Kendrick Mountain, (maintenance burn) 16 miles
northeast of Williams, AZ
Miscellaneous
pile burning – approximately 350 acres throughout the district.
Tusayan District
Scott
-- 2000 acres total, (broadcast burn), 7-10 miles east of Tusayan
Tusayan
East WUI -- 50 acres (broadcast burn), 1 mile east of Tusayan
Tusayan
South WUI -- 120 acres (broadcast burn), ½ mile southeast of Grand Canyon
Airport.
Flying
J – 500 acres (broadcast burn), 2 miles southwest of Tusayan
We appreciate the public’s tolerance of some smoke impacts in order to achieve the Kaibab National Forest’s resource management goals. We strive to keep the public notified of our prescribed fire activities. Information is provided by email, recorded phone line, Inciweb, Twitter, flyers, and the Forest website. Please note the websites at the top of this news release.
If you have any questions or would like to be added to our email notification list, please contact Punky Moore, Fire Information Officer, (928-635-5653).
Punky Moore
Fire Information Officer
Kaibab National Forest
Williams/Tusayan Ranger Districts
928-635-5653
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