Prescribed Fire Planned in the Yolo Ranch Area of the Chino Valley Ranger District

PRESCOTT, AZ, Oct. 27, 2025 — Fire Managers on the Chino Valley Ranger District plan to conduct a prescribed fire, in the Yolo Ranch area in the northwest part of the Prescott National Forest, Chino Valley Ranger District.  If weather and fuel conditions are favorable, tentative plans are to begin the prescribed fire on October 28 and continue through October 31.

The intent of the prescribed burn is to treat 2,296 acres in the Ponderosa Pine fuel type. 

Expect smoke to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Chino Valley, Paulden and areas near I-40 and Seligman. As nighttime temperatures cool, smoke may linger in drainages and valleys. In the interest of safety when driving, slow down and turn on your headlights when you encounter smoke on the road, obey all traffic signs, and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area; no roads and/or trails will be closed during the prescribed burn.  

All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment, weather, fuels, and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).  In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs, temporary road and trail closures, and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area. 

Prescott National Forest’s land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and reducing forest fuels. Prescribed fire with low to moderate fire behavior can reduce hazardous fuels and increase forest and community resilience.  In the wildland-urban interface, prescribed fire reduces the risk of wildfire to communities through hazardous fuels reduction which helps create buffer zones where we have a higher probability of safely stopping future unwanted wildfires. We would like to express continued gratitude to the community for its patience and understanding as we work to treat hazardous fuels and restore resilient landscapes. 

For fire information please call the Bradshaw Ranger District at 928-443-8000 during regular office hours: Monday, Wednesdays, and Friday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm & 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm and Thursdays 11 am - 3 pm. 

Stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook.

About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.

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