11/2/16 – The National Weather Service has issued the following forecast for the next few days.

This afternoon and tonight
Moisture being drawn northward ahead of a low pressure system will bring an increasing chance of showers and a few thunderstorms, mainly over southern Navajo and Apache Counties and northeast Gila County

Thursday through Tuesday

The low pressure system will move slowly northward across eastern Arizona Thursday and Friday. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop over much of Northern and central Arizona Thursday and Thursday night, then mainly over eastern Arizona on Friday. A few isolated strong thunderstorms could develop with small hail and gusty winds. Total rainfall amounts of .50″ to 1.50″ are possible with the heaviest rainfall over southern Navajo and Apache Counties. Localized minor flooding will be possible with the heaviest showers.

11/2/16 – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Fort Apache Agency Fire Management in coordination with the White Mountain Apache Tribe began prescribed burn operations on Monday, October 17, 2016 within several burn units on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. A total of 7,951 acres have been treated to date in the following burn blocks:

• Corduroy Burn Unit (south of Pinetop, southwest of Hondah) – 2993 acres
• Coyote West Burn Unit (south of Pinetop, southwest of Hondah) -1084 acres
• Sevenmile Burn Unit (east of East Fork, just west of Nyce Cabin) – 682 acres
• Turkey Creek Burn Unit (east of Grindstone Mountain, north of the East Fork Mission School) – 2177 acres
• Elk Canyon Burn Unit (east of East Fork) – 798 acres

These small prescribed fires will help reduce fuel accumulation from logging and thinning projects, decrease the risk of high intensity wildfire, and to protect communities. Broadcast burning efforts will continue as long as conditions allow. Weather forescast predict precipitation over the next few days therefore, prescribed burning efforts may be limited.

Fire Managers will work up to three burn units in a given day. The following are areas where broadcast burning will continue within the next few days and possibly into the weekend:
• Turkey Creek Burn Unit
• Beaver Burn Unit (east of East Fork, in the Horse Mesa area)
• Corduroy Burn Unit
• Sevenmile Burn Unit
• Coyote West Burn Unit

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.

If you have any questions regarding our upcoming prescribed burning efforts, you can call Candy Lupe, Public Information Officer at (928) 338-5425 or (928) 205-5662.

10/31/16 2:19 pm
U.S. Forest Service
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
30 S Chiricahua Drive
Springerville, AZ 85938

Web: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf
Twitter: @A_SNFs

News Release

Black Mesa Ranger District burning 850 acres northwest of Forest Lakes
Heber-Overgaard, AZ –October 31, 2016; —The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ Black Mesa Ranger District will be conducting a 850 acre prescribed burn in the Nagel burn unit beginning October 31, weather dependent.
The Nagel Unit’s legal description is: T12N, R13E, Section 2 and T13N R13E, Section 33.
Ignition may last several days, with daily smoke impact anticipated within area drainages. Smoke will be visible northwest of Forest Lakes and also along Forest Roads 34 and 75. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to 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. 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. 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 Black Mesa Ranger District at (928) 535-7300 or by calling 311 or 928-333-3412. Also, check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/asnf or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs/ or check out Inciweb at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5062/.