3/225/16 – The National Weather Service has advised that a strong and fairly dry low pressure system will move through the great basin Monday and pushing a cold front toward northern Arizona and then across northern Arizona on Tuesday. Strong southwest winds are forecast to develop out ahead of the cold front on Monday with gusts from 35 to 55 MPH over portions of northern Arizona. Strong southwest winds are forecast again on Tuesday along with and ahead of the cold front with gusts from 30 to 50 MPH. The strongest wind gusts are forecast to occur over portions of the Little Colorado River Valley. Areas of blowing dust in the lower elevations of the Little Colorado River Valley and in the Chinle Valley are possible Monday and Tuesday.

3/24/16 – Today will be the last day of the McCleave RX Burn. A total of 823 acres will be finished with smoke visible through the weekend form Show low and 260.

3/23/16 – The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Lakeside Ranger District will continue the prescribed burn within the McCleve Unit of the Rodeo-Chediski Fire area March 21 through March 25, weather dependent. The 2,700 acres McCleve Unit is located three miles south of Pinedale on Forest Service Road (FR) 130. The prescribed fire block is surrounded by FR 130, 263, and 300. In December 2015, and earlier this month the district completed approximately 2,000 acres of treatment within the project area. Fire management proposes to burn an estimated 700 additional acres completing the project.
Ignition may last several days, with daily smoke impact anticipated within area drainages.

Smoke will be visible in the local area, from Arizona State Highway 260, Overgaard and Show Low.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil and encourages new growth for a variety of plants used by wildlife and livestock. Objectives of this project are to maintain and protect ponderosa pine stands while providing browse for wildlife. The prescribed fire is in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Habitat Partnership Committee.
Crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.
Questions or concerns contact the Lakeside Ranger District at (928) 368-2100 or by calling 311 or 928-333-3412. Also, check out the ASNFs website: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf