The Lakeside Ranger District staff plan to ignite the planned prescribed burns of the Lakeside East-Doyle and Ecks Units tomorrow, June 1 as weather conditions allow. The area includes 663 acres in the Doyle Unit and 1,762 acres in the Ecks unit. The site is three miles southwest of Vernon, AZ. Smoke may be seen from highway 60 and 180 and possibly in Springerville.
Drivers should expect delays of up to 10 minutes
The Arizona Department of Transportation advises drivers to prepare for lane restrictions in both directions along US 180 in Alpine from Monday, June 5, through Friday, June 16, for a pavement replacement project.
Drivers should plan extra travel time and expect the following restrictions weekdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
● US 180 narrowed to one lane of alternating east- and westbound traffic from the US 191
junction to the Luna Lake turnoff (mileposts 426 – 430).
● Flaggers and a pilot car will direct drivers through the work zone.
● Side road entrances to the work zone will be impacted, but business access will be
maintained.
● The speed limit will be reduced in the work zone.
● The restrictions will be lifted each day after work hours.
The restrictions are needed in order to extend the life of the highway and create a smooth driving surface.
Springerville, AZ, May 3, 2023 — The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests is currently working to begin prescribed fire operations beginning May 22 through June 10, 2023. The following prescribed fires will be initiated if conditions and approvals allow:
Lakeside Ranger District:
Location: three miles southwest of Vernon, AZ. Project boundary is along and within Forest Road 44, Forest Road 3D and Forest Road 5. The public should expect to see smoke from Highway 60 and possibly 260.
Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Prescribed fires provide habitat diversity, recycle plant nutrients into the soil, and encourage new growth for various plants used by wildlife and livestock. They also reduce forest surface fuels which lessen the threat of large-scale wildfire impacts on private lands and communities.
Smoke will be a consideration in the vicinity of the prescribed fires depending on the weather and caution should be used when traveling in the area. Information on air quality and active prescribed fires can be found on Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s webpage: https://azdeq.gov/.
Stay up to date on news from the A-S at our website https://www.fs.usda.gov/asnf, on Twitter @A_SNFs and on facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs.