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December 14, 2012
Next week: pile burns planned for Mt Elden, Oak Creek Canyon, and Mogollon Rim
Flagstaff, AZ – Fire managers on the Coconino National Forest are planning to conduct several pile burn projects next week, pending favorable conditions.
For Monday December 17: EASTSIDE PILES: approximately 15 acres near Fat Man’s Loop Trail on Mt Elden. Smoke will disperse to the east with the forecast west winds. Some residual smoke may be noticeable in the Smoke Rise and Christmas Tree areas overnight, but should be light. FLAGSTAFF ADMIN SITE: one large pile located on the Flagstaff Ranger District administrative site located on the west side of Highway 89, across the highway from the Safeway shopping center. Smoke will disperse to the east with the forecast winds, and though the smoldering pile will likely produce residual smoke, no impacts to the community are expected. MOGOLLON RIM MISCELLANEOUS PILES: 10 acres located on Dane Ridge, southeast of Blue Ridge Reservoir. Smoke will be noticeable to anyone in the immediate vicinity, but otherwise no smoke impacts are expected. OAK CREEK CANYON: 25 acres located on the south end of Oak Creek Canyon near the confluence with Munds Canyon, near Indian Gardens and Encinoso Day Use Area. Based on topography and prior history burning in this unit, smoke is expected to flow up canyon during ignitions. Smoke should lift out of Oak Creek over Indian Point, and/or disperse to NE in Munds Canyon. Private residences on east side of canyon near the burn area may notice light smoke during ignitions, but the piles are made up of small diameter brush, which will consume rapidly and produce little residual smoke. Any residual smoke will settle in Oak Creek Canyon overnight and should not impact the community.
For the rest of the week, fire managers hope to continue burning approximately 25 acres per day in the Oak Creek Canyon project until Thursday, as well as various other pile burning projects across the forest including the Eastside Project near east and south Flagstaff.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, weather – including winds and ventilation, and approval from the ADEQ (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 canceling approved burns when conditions aren’t favorable, finding alternative uses for the debris in slash piles, timing daytime 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 our partners in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, 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:
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Brienne Magee Public Affairs Specialist Flagstaff Ranger District 5075 N Hwy 89 Flagstaff AZ 86004 Desk: 928.527.8290 Cell: 928.310.6035 bmagee@xxxxxxxxx
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