Prescribed Burn to start June 5, 2019 within Section 20 Tank Unit
Lakeside, AZ, June 3, 2019 — The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest’s Lakeside Ranger District will be conducting a prescribed burn within the Section 20 Tank Unit. This area is part of the Los Burros broadcast burn area, south of Vernon and will start June 5, 2019 and continue through June 12, 2019, weather dependent.
This 1,400 acre unit is about four miles south of Vernon, along Apache County Road 3140. The burn is surrounded by Forest Service Road (FSR) 8, Apache County Road 3140, FSR 6, FSR 6E, FSR 6D and FSR 96. The legal description is: T9N, R25E Sections 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 29.
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, and U.S. Highway 60, in Round Valley, Vernon and Show Low. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic may be in the area. Visitors are reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as smoke may reduce visibility in the area.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. This area has received some forest thinning within the past three to eight years. This burn continues the needed restoration efforts. 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. This prescribed burn is in cooperation with Arizona Game and Fish and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
This will provide protection for the community of Vernon from wildfires that start southeast of town.
Crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from project boundaries.
For questions or concerns please contact the Lakeside Ranger District at (928) 368-2100, or dial 311 to reach the Northeastern Arizona Public Information System. Also, check out our website at www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/ .
