***POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE***
Show Low, AZ – October 25, 2019 – Lakeside Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests will be conducting a prescribed burn in the Morgan Tank Unit, west of Show Low. Total acres for the unit are 2,066 acres and will be divided into smaller units to minimize smoke impacts. This prescribed burn will start October 29, and continue to Saturday, November 2, 2019 as weather conditions allow and will continue until the project is complete.
This area last burned during the Rodeo-Chediski Wildfire of 2002. The Morgan Tank Unit is about one mile south of SR 260 and ½ mile west of the Bison Ridge and Torreon developments. The burn is surrounded by Forest Service Roads 135, FSR 300 and FSR 140.
Initial ignition may last for 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 Show Low, Pinedale, Linden and Pinetop-Lakeside. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic may be in the area.
Prescribed burning provides many benefits and is essential to maintaining healthy forest ecosystems. An important part of forest restoration is using low to moderate intensity fire. 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 Rx burn will provide protection for community of Show Low and Linden from wildfires that start southwest of town.
Crews will be on the scene from ignition until there is no longer a threat of escape from the project boundaries.
See the map: MorganTankRxBurnPublicInfoMap_20191018
Questions or concerns? Please contact Lakeside Ranger District for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests at 928-368-2100, or visit the ASNFs website at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/asnfs or join the conversation on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/or follow us on Twitter @A_SNFs
Fire restrictions: The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest is not currently in fire restrictions. Visitors are reminded to be very careful with fire. Never leave a fire unattended – even for a short time.
Additional Information on wildfire and wildfire safety can be found at:
- Northeastern Arizona Public Information System: https://311info.net/ or call 311 or 928.333.3412
- Arizona Fire Restrictions: http://firerestrictions.us/az/
- Fire Restrictions and Red Flag Alerts: http://wildlandfire.az.gov/
- Wildfires Near Me: http://www.wildfiresnearme.wfmrda.com/
