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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 Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Media Contact:
Brienne Magee – office: 928-527-8290, cell: 928-310-6035,
bmagee@xxxxxxxxx Fort Valley and Blue Ridge prescribed planned for tomorrow Flagstaff,
Ariz. – Ignitions are underway for the
Blue Ridge Urban Interface Project south of Hwy 87. Crews will burn up to 520 acres today. Smoke is expected on Hwy 87 and in the Blue Ridge communities overnight and during the early morning hours. Pending favorable conditions, fire managers anticipate
burning approximately 1000 acres Thursday. Because conditions in the
Rocky Park Project are unsuitable for a successful burn, fire managers have cancelled today’s plans and will not burn in this area for the remainder of the week.
Instead, crews will move to the
Fort Valley Project north of Flagstaff tomorrow; increased winds in the forecast Thursday and Friday will aid crews in managing smoke impacts to the community. Efforts will take place on multiple units scattered within the Fort Valley Experimental Forest
off Hwy 180, for a combined total of 475 acres (see map on Inciweb). Smoke is forecast to rise and disperse over the San Francisco Peaks. The forecast calls for winds to continue throughout Thursday
night and Friday, helping to keep residual smoke from settling in the community. If winds decrease, smoke will likely pool into Fort Valley and follow the Rio de Flag into Cheshire and portions of Flagstaff overnight. 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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