Phoenix, AZ (9/26/19) – – On Tuesday, October 15, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management resumes ignitions to a pile burn project in Navajo County, northwest of Pinetop.

This is the second phase of the 35-acre Brownlow-Lee Rx Burn, four miles northwest of Pinetop, south of the Maverick gas station, on the south side of Highway 260.
Ignitions are scheduled for 7am and weather dependent.

Smoke may be visible to the Pinetop-Lakeside area during the day. Overnight, smoke is expected to move through Billy Creek toward Show Low.

Also tomorrow, DFFM crews begin the McCreary Rx Burn near Happy Jack, two miles north of Clint’s Well in Coconino County.

The McCreary Rx Burn is also a pile burn project aimed at reducing 475 acres of debris piles from prior fuels mitigation work in the area.

Smoke from this project will be visible from Lake Mary Road (Forest Road 3 or Highway 487).

Prescribed burning provides a variety of benefits to the landscape. It provides a more efficient way of removing leftover debris from fuels mitigation projects, reduces the risk of wildfires, stimulates forest health by ridding diseased vegetation, and helps to improve wildlife habitat.

The safety of our firefighters and the public is our first priority and the department monitors conditions closely before test ignitions even start. In addition, DFFM must obtain prior approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Burn information can be found on the agency’s Twitter and Facebook pages and will also be provided through the department’s mobile phone application.

To download the free app, go to the iTunes or Google Play store and search – Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at tdavila@dffm.az.gov.