Pinetop, AZ (11/4/19) – – On Wednesday, November 13, the Pinetop Fire District (PFD) continues seasonal ignitions on a broadcast burn project in Navajo County, Pinetop.

This is the second phase of the planned 124-acre Rx Burn, in Pinetop. This 35-acre RX Burn is located at Buck Spring and 260 on the north side of Highway 260.

Ignitions are scheduled for 10am 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.

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. Additionally, managed prescribed treatment burns can reduce smoke emission unlike smoke emissions from uncontrolled wildfires.

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

Burn information can be found on the district’s web & Facebook pages.

For more information, contact Chad Berlin at 928-367-2199 or by email at cberlin@pinetopfire.com

11/12/19 – Fort Apache Agency continues to conduct prescribed burning on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Since October 9, 2019, a total of 16,562 acres has been treated within several burn units. Recent rains have halted prescribed burn efforts since last Wednesday, November 6, 2019.

Fire personnel conducted a test burn within the Hop-Cot burn unit yesterday but conditions were not favorable to continue prescribed burning efforts. No prescribed burning will be conducted today as well. Today, personnel will evaluate conditions at four burn units. This week prescribed burn resources are planning to treat burn blocks within the following prescribed burn units if conditions become favorable:
 Turkey Burn Unit (10 miles east of Whiteriver)
 Hop-Cot Burn Unit ( 6 miles south of Show Low)
 Sevenmile burn unit (8 miles east of Whiteriver)
 Coyote West Burn Unit (6 miles southwest of Hondah)

Smoke may continue to be visible from within the interior of the burn units. Nearby residents should expect smoke in the vicinity and drivers should pay extra attention while traveling through or adjacent to burn areas. All Prescribed Fire activity will be carefully monitored and will comply with smoke management guidelines to reduce the impact of smoke on local residents. If conditions become unfavorable, prescribed burning efforts will be ceased to mitigate smoke impacts to the communities.

The next update will be on Monday, November 18, 2019. The public should avoid entering the burn units for their safety and fire fighter safety. If you have any questions regarding our upcoming prescribed burning efforts, you can call Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer at (928) 338-5425, (928) 205-5662 or you can log onto BIA Fort Apache Agency’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BIAFAAFireMgt.

The burn described below was previously postponed. Officials are starting ignitions today. More information below.

Springerville, AZ – November 6, 2019 – The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ Black Mesa RangerDistrict plans to conduct burning operations within Burn Block 19 of the Nagel Forest Health Prescribed Burn Area, if weather conditions allow, from November 7 to November 16, 2019. Burn Blocks 13, 17, and 20 were completed in October. The prescribed burn area is in Burn Block 19, which is along Forest Road (FR) 169,
west of FR 180 and FR 9401, east of FR 9412R, and south of FR 9403Q and FR 100. The burn will encompass approximately 1,040 acres.

Smoke may impact Holbrook, Joseph City, Winslow, Forest Lakes, Kohls Ranch, Payson, Christopher Creek, Young, and Colcord Ranch depending on wind direction and smoke dispersion. Smoke may also settle into nearby drainages and tributaries of Alder Canyon, West Chevlon Canyon, and Chevlon Canyon.

Once ignition occurs, crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from theproject boundaries. Units will also patrol the prescribed burn area until smoke is no longer visible.

Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. This prescribed burn is a follow up to previous mechanical treatments within parts of the units. It provides habitat diversity, recycles plant nutrients into the soil and encourages new growth for a variety of plants used by wildlife and livestock. Prescribed burning of forest ground fuels also reduces the threat of large scale wildfire impacts to private lands.

Lingering smoke may be present for up to one week after ignitions are complete. Smoke-sensitive individuals and people with respiratory or heart disease are encouraged to take precautionary measures. Information on air quality and active prescribed burns can be found on Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s webpage: https://azdeq.gov/.
For further information, please contact the Black Mesa Ranger District at 928-535-7300 or the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests email at as_portal_comments@usda.gov.