SOUTHWESTERN-NEWS-RELEASE: Coconino National Forest Information

["Magee, Brienne U -FS" <bmagee@xxxxxxxxx>]

NEWS RELEASE                    

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

U.S. Forest Service

Coconino National Forest

www.coconinonationalforest.us                                     

www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF

www.flickr.com/photos/coconinonationalforest

 

For Immediate Release

January 26, 2015

           

Media Contact: 

Brienne Magee – 928-527-8290 (desk), 928-310-6035 (cell), bmagee@xxxxxxxxx

 

Crews to continue pile burns near Flagstaff this week

 

Flagstaff, Ariz. – Depending on precipitation and other conditions, fire managers are planning to continue pile burning efforts in the following projects, starting on Tuesday with the Woody Ridge Project. If the upcoming storms produce too much rain, crews will not conduct the planned burns.

 

All prescribed fires are dependent on the availability of crew members and equipment, weather and ventilation conditions, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov)

 

• WOODY RIDGE PROJECT – TEACUP SECTION: Approximately 150 acres of piles made of slash and debris from recent logging efforts. Piles are located approximately 8 miles southwest of Fort Tuthill County Park between Hwy 89A and Woody Mountain Road (Forest Road 231), off Forest Road 535. Smoke is expected to disperse to the east, and will likely settle into Fry Canyon and Pumphouse Wash.

 

• MOUNTAINAIRE PROJECT: Approximately 100 acres of piles south of Flagstaff east of Lake Mary. Smoke is expected to settle into Pumphouse Wash and Kelly Canyon. It will be visible from Flagstaff and may be noticeable in Kachina Village, Mountainaire and along I-17.

 

• EASTSIDE – SCHULTZ CHANNEL SECTION: Approximately 50 acres of piles located behind the Timberline and Fernwood neighborhoods. Smoke will be visible north of Flagstaff and will likely linger overnight in Timberline, Fernwood, and across Hwy 89A in Doney Park.

 

• MISC. PILES on Mt Elden: Fire managers may also burn 5 acres of miscellaneous piles on Mt Elden near Fat Man’s Loop Trail. Smoke will be visible in the immediate area.

 

            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 try to burn when winds and other atmospheric conditions will push the majority of smoke away from homes; utilize slash in other ways as much as possible such as filler layer at the landfill; and they work closely with ADEQ, partners in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, as well as neighboring forests to monitor air quality.

 

###

 

 

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Office of the Assistant 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).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately.