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U.S. Forest Service
News Release
Media Contact: Brady Smith
Prescribed burns update for Coconino NF
Flagstaff, Ariz., Apr. 16, 2015, For Immediate Release —
Fire managers are planning a prescribed burn for tomorrow as part of the Rocky Project and also for next week in areas near Stoneman Lake and Happy Jack,
which will be visible to travelers along Interstate 17 and Lake Mary Road.
Rocky Project: Planned ignition will be tomorrow (April 17),
if weather conditions permit. This burn includes 450 acres and is located about 25 miles south of Flagstaff (7 miles south of Munds Park) on the east side of Interstate 17. Smoke is expected to disperse to the east away from I-17, but smoke may drift back
towards the interstate during evening hour and affect areas north of Verde Valley.
For next week, two burns will be conducted as part of the
Upper Beaver Creek Project (UBC), which comprise a total of more than 2,000 acres and will commence on different days.
UBC Burn #1: Planned ignition will be Tuesday (April 21)
through Wednesday (April 22), if weather conditions permit. This burn includes approximately 1,000 acres and is located one mile southwest of Stoneman Lake along the northwest end of Forest Road 213. Light to moderate smoke is expected to disperse in a northeasterly
direction.
UBC Burn #2: Planned ignition will be Wednesday (April 22)
through Friday (April 24), if weather conditions are suitable. This burn includes 1,064 acres and is located in the Happy Jack area, approximately 38 miles south of Flagstaff. Smoke is expected to disperse to the east/northeast.
Prescribed burns are events that require thorough planning, lots of pre-work and many different specialists to complete the prescription plan. Fire managers conduct
test fire ignitions just prior to the actual burn to ensure conditions are within parameters of the prescription and the burn can be safely managed. Sometimes prescribed burns are cancelled due to unfavorable conditions.
“Lots of people wonder why we conduct prescribed burns when we do,” said Don Muise, fire and aviation staff officer for the Coconino National Forest. “To put it simply,
there needs to be enough wind to push the smoke up and out of communities, but not too windy; enough dryness to effectively burn, but not too dry, and conditions that allow fire to move across the landscape, but in a safe and manageable manner. There are many
conditions that must be met and the window of opportunity for a prescribed burn can be fairly short—but we always follow a prescription plan, work closely with the National Weather Service and other partners, and will burn only when it meets the conditions
of the plan.”
Fire managers strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible, which means they burn when it appears windy. However, winds and other atmospheric
conditions are necessary to push the majority of smoke away from homes.
In the development of a prescription plan, Coconino National Forest coordinates closely with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, partners in the Ponderosa
Fire Advisory Council, National Weather Service, as well as neighboring forests.
Notifications of upcoming prescribed burns are provided regularly throughout the season. The public can find this information online and through the Prescribed Fire
recorded hotline:
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Inciweb:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/3/
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Prescribed Fire Recorded Hotline: 928-226-4607
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Twitter:
www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF
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Coconino website:
www.coconinonationalforest.us, (Under News and Events)
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Attachment:
COC-NR-4-16-15-RxBurn.docx
Description: COC-NR-4-16-15-RxBurn.docx
Attachment:
Rocky-Upper Beaver Creek Projects Map.pdf
Description: Rocky-Upper Beaver Creek Projects Map.pdf
