12/4/15 – The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Lakeside Ranger District will be conducting a 933 acre prescribed burn within the Country Club unit, east of the community of Pinetop. Weather permitting they will begin burning December 7-10.
The Country Club Unit is located east of Pinetop, adjacent to the Pinetop Country Club to the north and east and along Forest Service Road 9600T, 283 and 631A. The legal description is: T8N, R23E, Section 1 and T8N, R24E Sections 5 and 6.
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 77, and U.S. Highway 60, in Pinetop – Lakeside, Vernon, McNary and Show Low.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. This will provide more protection for use of the escape route road, Forest Service Road 9600T that was identified following the Rodeo-Chediski fire as a secondary escape route for the residents of Pinetop and Lakeside. This prescribed fire is a follow up to previous mechanical treatments. 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.