10/20/16 – 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.

Fire Officials will work on squaring up the burn block within the Corduroy burn unit. This burn unit is located south of Pinetop Mountain and west of Cooley Lake. The burn block is 1,196 acres and a total of 599 acres have been treated since Monday. Broadcast burning ignitions will continue today and tomorrow to complete the treatment of the remaining 597 acres within this burn block.

Broadcast burning promotes ecological health in frequent fire forests, reduces hazardous fuels thereby protecting nearby communities, and reduces the intensity and size of future wildfires. Prescribed burn operations will temporarily stop throughout the weekend and burn operations will resume on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 if weather conditions are favorable.

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.