UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
Fort Apache Agency
P.O. Box 560 Whiteriver, Arizona 85941
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wildland Fire Management News Release Contact: Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer, (928) 338-5425 Email: candy.lupe@bia.gov
November 18, 2019

FINAL BROADCAST BURN UPDATE
Fort Apache Agency is winding down broadcast burning efforts on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.  Since October 9, 2019, a total of 17,879 acres has been treated within several burn units. This will be the final week of broadcast burning for the Reservation. Pile burning treatments will begin in December 2019, within the Rodeo-Chediski Burned Area and more details will be forthcoming.

This week, fire resources will treat the Sevenmile burn unit (8 miles east of Whiteriver) and Soldier Butte Burn Unit (8 miles east of McNary).  Ignition operations may take place over the remaining of this week depending on weather conditions.

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 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.

U.S. Forest Service
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
30 South Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938

Web: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf

Twitter: @A_SNFs

News Release

Media Contact:

Kacy Ellsworth 928-333-6280

kacy.l.ellsworth@usda.gov

Lakeside Ranger District Plan Prescribed Burn in the Marsh Broadcast Burn Area

Springerville, AZ – November 13, 2019 – The Lakeside Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests plan to conduct a prescribed burn in the Marsh Broadcast Burn Area; Pintail Lake-Pond 2 and Polishing Ponds, 1, 2, 3, and 4 on November 14, 2019. The burn area is approximately 26 acres and will remove cattails and other vegetation to enhance wildlife habitat areas.

The Marsh Broadcast Burn area is about three miles north of Show Low off highway 77; the Polishing Ponds are on the west side of Hwy. 77; and Pintail Lake is about one-half mile west of Hwy 77.

Smoke will impact the area near the highway for a short duration. However, smoke may be present for up to three days after ignitions are completed. 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/.

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. Once ignition occurs, crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.

For further information, please contact the Lakeside Ranger District at 928-368-2100 or the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests email at as_portal_comments@usda.gov.

U.S. Forest Service
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
30 South Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938

Web: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf

Twitter: @A_SNFs

News Release

Media Contact:

Kacy Ellsworth 928-333-6280

kacy.l.ellsworth@usda.gov

Black Mesa Ranger District Plan Prescribed Burns within Rim Lakes Prescribed Burn Area

Springerville, AZ – November 13, 2019 – Black Mesa Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests planned to conduct prescribed burns within the Rim Lakes Prescribed Burn area from November 5, 2019 through November 15, 2019. However, due to unfavorable conditions, the prescribed burns were postponed. Fire managers continued to monitor conditions. The appropriate prescriptions were met and now plan to conduct prescribed burns for the Crook Prescribed Burn Block beginning tomorrow, November 14, 2019, through this Saturday, November 16, 2019.

The Crook Prescribed Burn Block will include Forest Roads 300, FR 105, FR 235 and dozer line between FR 235 and FR 105. The burn block is approximately 1,659 acres. Smoke will likely be visible from Hwy 260 and the Rim Lakes Recreation areas, the communities of Forest Lakes, Christopher Creek, Young, Colcord Estates and Heber-Overgaard. 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/.

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.

Once ignition occurs, crews will be on scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.

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.

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