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Ignition operations are nearly complete on the A-1 Project today, and fire managers are making plans to continue the restoration efforts tomorrow with a 215-acre
burn in the same area. Crews will remain on scene this afternoon and will continue to assess weather, ventilation, and smoke impacts in the morning. If conditions are suitable, ignitions will likely begin around 10:30 a.m. and commence in early afternoon.
Smoke is predicted to disperse to the north/northeast again and will settle overnight in the same manner as tonight – around Baderville, Bellemont, I-40 and Hwy 180.
If conditions are not suitable tomorrow, fire managers will postpone and evaluate the possibility of resuming the A-1 Project on Friday. No other prescribed
burns are planned for this week. Brienne Magee Public Affairs Specialist Flagstaff Ranger District, Coconino NF 5075 N Hwy 89 Flagstaff AZ 86004 o: 928-527-8290
From:
USDA FS NEWS List [mailto:USDA-FS-NEWS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Magee, Brienne U -FS
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest www.flickr.com/photos/coconinonationalforest For Immediate Release October 21, 2014
Media Contact:
Brienne Magee – office: 928-527-8290, cell: 928-310-6035,
bmagee@xxxxxxxxx Prescribed fires on A-1 Project planned for Wednesday and Thursday Flagstaff,
Ariz. – Crews are planning to conduct prescribed burns on the A-1 Project
tomorrow and Thursday, pending favorable conditions. This area is heavily laden with fuels and will likely produce a significant amount of smoke.
Wednesday’s project is 230 acres located approximately 8 miles west of Flagstaff (as the crow flies) and 3 miles east of Bellemont on the north side of I-40.
Smoke is expected to rise and disperse to the north/northeast during the day. Overnight and during the early morning hours, smoke will settle into the Baderville and Bellemont areas, and may also be noticeable on I-40 and Hwy 180. Nighttime winds are forecast
to increase which will help disperse residual smoke. All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather – including ventilation conditions – and approval from the Arizona Department
of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Prescribed fires are essential to the accelerated restoration of watersheds, grasslands, and forests in our fire-adapted ecosystem. Frequent low-severity fire has a natural
and necessary role that cannot be replaced by any mechanical effort. It reduces accumulated vegetation, enhances wildlife habitat, and recycles valuable nutrients into the soil. The result is a healthier forest with reduced risk of severe fire behavior and
safer conditions for the community and firefighters.
Fire managers strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible. They burn when winds and other atmospheric conditions will push the majority of smoke away
from homes; they’ll burn larger sections at a time to ultimately limit the number of days smoke is in the air; and they work closely with ADEQ, partners in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, as well as neighboring forests to monitor air quality.
Additional prescribed fire information:
Inciweb:
inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4125
Prescribed Fire Hotline: 928-226-4607 Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF Coconino website “News and Events”:
www.coconinonationalforest.us
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Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (866) 632-9992 (toll-free customer service), (800) 877-8339 (local or federal relay) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice users).
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