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U.S. Dept. of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF www.flickr.com/photos/coconinonationalforest For Immediate Release October 24, 2014
Media Contact:
Brienne Magee – office: 928-527-8290, cell: 928-310-6035,
bmagee@xxxxxxxxx Prescribed fires next week at Blue Ridge, Oak Creek Canyon, Flagstaff Flagstaff,
Ariz. – Crews completed ignitions on the 115-acre Lake Mary project south
of Flagstaff. Expect overnight smoke to settle around east and south Flagstaff including Lake Mary Meadows, Herold Ranch, Heckethorn, Country Club and Cosnino as well as Lake Mary Road
and I-40. Pending favorable conditions, fire managers are tentatively planning several prescribed burns across the forest next week beginning with the Blue Ridge and Oak
Creek Canyon projects Monday Oct 27. Crews are taking Halloween into consideration this week, and are adjusting their plans accordingly. For Monday Oct 27:
Tentative plans for the remainder of the week (updates to these plans will be sent regularly throughout the week):
Prescribed fires are essential tools for restoring the forests in our fire-adapted ecosystem, and smoke is an unavoidable byproduct of these vital efforts.
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.
Crews also seek opportunities to use slash from thinning projects around the community instead of burning it –it is often used as filler at the landfill and offered as firewood
to community members. However, no matter how many mechanical means we employ to restore our forests, fire is a natural and necessary part of this ecosystem, and a restoration tool that cannot be replaced by any mechanical means. Forests need the frequent,
low-intensity fire to remove accumulated smaller fuels and recycle nutrients into the soils to promote healthy vegetation and wildlife habitat. A healthier forest is a safer forest for firefighters and residents when wildfires inevitably occur. Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. The public can find this information online or through the recorded hotline. Contact
your local Coconino National Forest office for additional information.
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