Community News

Pile Burning to Resume on Tusayan Ranger District

January 23, 2018

 Tusayan, Ariz., Jan 23, 2018—For Immediate Release. Fire Managers on the south zone of the Kaibab National Forest will continue with pile burning on the Tusayan Ranger District this week and are expecting to complete an additional 429 acres west of the Grand Canyon Airport by Friday.

Typically, pile burning produces far less smoke than broadcast burning with less impacts to adjacent communities.  Piles consume quickly and have little to no spread potential with recent snow accumulation on the ground. Burn days are always chosen based on current weather conditions that are optimal for ventilation and dispersion of residual smoke.

Smoke may be visible for short durations from Highway 64 and the community of Tusayan but is expected to ventilate rapidly toward the east with no overnight impacts.

Visitors are always reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed fires, as firefighters, fire-related traffic and smoke may all be present.

All prescribed fires are subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division and to view prescribed burn authorizations for any given day, visit www.azdeq.gov/programs/air-quality-programs/smoke-management

Notifications of upcoming prescribed fires are provided regularly throughout the year. This information can be found at the following sources:

·        Fire Information Recorded Hotline: 928-635-8311

·        Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF (Text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404 to receive text messages.)

·        Kaibab Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF

·        Kaibab website “Recent News”: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab 

·        Kaibab South Zone Rx Fire: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5160/