Prescribed burn planned for Wednesday south of Little America Hotel
Release Date: Feb 25, 2014
Contact(s): Brienne Magee - 928-527-8290, Brady Smith - 928-527-3490
Flagstaff, AZ– Pendingfavorable conditions tomorrow, Feb 26, fire managers on the Flagstaff Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest are planning to conduct a prescribed burn approximately 2 miles south of Flagstaff and the Little America Hotel, off Harold Ranch Road. Crews plan to burn 225 acres, in increments of 100. Winds in the forecast will help disperse smoke to the east and northeast. Some smoke may be noticeable on Interstate 40 and in southeast Flagstaff including Harold Ranch, Walnut Canyon, and Country Club areas.
The forest depends on low-intensity fire to reduce accumulated vegetation, enhance wildlife habitat, and recycle valuable nutrients into the soil. “Fire is a natural part of this ecosystem,” says Vic Morfin, Coconino National Forest Fuels Management Officer. “It reduces the likelihood of severe fire behavior, creating safer conditions for the community and firefighters.”
Prescribed burns are termed such because they are conducted within a “prescription” that defines the fuel moisture levels, air temperatures, wind conditions, and relative humidity levels that are appropriate for each project.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on personnel availability, fuel conditions, weather and ventilation, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
Fire managers strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community by working closely with ADEQ, partners in the Ponderosa Fire Advisory Council, as well as neighboring forests to monitor air quality.In addition, fire managers try to burn when winds and other atmospheric conditions will push the majority of smoke away from homes, and try to burn larger sections at a time to ultimately limit the number of days smoke is in the air.
The public can register to receive regular email notifications by choosing the “Southwestern Region” option at http://www.fs.fed.us/news/subscription. Information can also be obtained via the Prescribed Fire Hotline at 928-226-4607, our website, and Twitter at www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF.
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