Lakeside, AZ –December 4, 2015; —The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Lakeside Ranger District will be conducting a 2,700 acre prescribed burn December 7 through December 11 within the McCleave unit of the Rodeo-Chediski fire area.

The McCleave Unit is about one mile south of Pinedale Estates, which is two miles south of Pinedale on Forest Service Road 130. The prescribed fire block is surrounded by Forest Service Roads (130, 263, and 300). The legal description is: T10N, R19E, Sections 25, 26, 35, 36 and T10N, R20E Sections 29, 30, 31, and 32.

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, in 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. Prescribed burning of forest ground fuels also reduces the threat of large scale wildfire impacts to private lands. This prescribed fire is in cooperation with the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Habitat Partnership Committee. Objectives of this project are to maintain and protect ponderosa pine stands while providing browse for wildlife.

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 at: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/